Obituary of Diana Ruth Unrau

Diana Ruth Unrau

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dearest wife and mother, Diana Ruth Unrau (Beerman), on January 7, 2024 at the age of 83 years.  She leaves behind her one and only true love, her husband of 63 years, Frank George Unrau.  She was the most loving caring mother to her three children, Ronald Unrau (wife Gail Powley), Kimberly Unrau, and Cindy Bush (husband KJ).  She was the cherished grandmother to Stephanie Wollin (husband Daniel), Nicole Unrau (husband Andrew Smith), and Christine Unrau. She is predeceased by her parents, Frank and Susan Beerman, and her brother John Beerman and his wife Susan.  She is survived by her brother Frank Beerman and his wife Susan, along with many in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins.  We will all miss her greatly.

Diana was born in Oshawa, Ontario on January 7, 1941, the youngest of three children. Her family moved to Campden, Ontario in the early 1950s, where they lived on a dairy farm just outside of the village limit.  She attended Campden Public School, and then Beamsville High School.  She began training as a nurse in Hamilton, and married Frank Unrau of Campden on December 2, 1960.  With two young children she and Frank moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1969, to pursue Frank’s career as a sales representative for an automotive machine manufacturing company.  They had their third child while living there. The family moved back to Ontario in 1975, to run a dairy farm near Wingham.  A move out west and back to the automotive industry took them to St. Albert, Alberta in 1977, where they lived until 2007.  A strong desire to be back near their extended family brought them to Vineland, Ontario, and finally full circle back to Campden in 2018. 

Diana had many jobs over the years, including picking fruit, working in a canning factory, at the Westinghouse factory in Beamsville, cleaning offices in St. Catharines, driving school bus in Wingham and finding her true calling in St. Albert in 1982 as a business owner with her husband Frank. They worked together every day running their businesses, from then until the present.  Diana always supported her family and contributed by working, although her most cherished role was as a wife and mother.  She will forever be remembered for her generosity, sunny disposition, her loving kindness to all, her wicked sense of humour and the twinkle in her eye.  She always had a kind and encouraging word for everyone. 

Diana’s funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 13th at 1 PM at the Vineland Missionary Church (3874 Victoria Ave), with a visitation on Friday, January 12th from 6 until 8 PM at Tallman Funeral Homes in Vineland (3277 King St.).  There will be a reception on Saturday at the Vineland Missionary Church following the funeral service and burial.  All are welcome to attend and celebrate Diana’s beautiful life.

Donations in Diana’s honour can be made to the Mennonite Central Committee.