Diane K. (Trees) Erickson, age 66, most recently of Iowa Falls, IA, a native of Belmond and longtime resident, passed away Thursday, August 27, 2026, following a brief but courageous battle with cancer.
Public funeral service for Diane will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 304 3rd Avenue N.E., Belmond, IA. The Reverend Katie Pals will be officiating. Burial will be at the Belmond Cemetery. Public visitation will be Friday, Sept 4, 2026, from 5-7 PM at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 1st Street S.E. Belmond, IA, and will continue one hour prior to the funeral at church on Saturday. Those wishing to express their sympathies through a memorial in Diane’s memory may wish to consider Trinity Lutheran Church Sunday School programs, the family, or the donor’s wishes. The funeral service will be live-streamed on the Andrews Funeral Home and Trinity Lutheran Church Facebook Pages. Just LIKE either page to view.
Diane Kay Trees, the daughter of Paul George and Marjorie (Wigg) Trees, was born May 27, 1960, one of five children to bless this union. She attended Belmond Community Schools, graduating from Belmond High School with the Class of 1975. Diane was a farm girl through and through while growing up in rural Belmond. Her upbeat personality and always cheering for others’ success was a perfect fit as she was a high school wrestling cheerleader in her school years. One of her favorite memories of growing up was taking family trips to Canada and the adventures and fun that these vacations brought with it. One of her favorite movies was “Dirty Dancing” which she often thought of as being similar in circumstance to these Canadian treks. Family travels to Missouri also brought cherished family memories with John Prine on the radio and a tiny TV keeping them entertained along the way.
Diane was employed in a wide array of occupations over her lifetime including stints at Cattleman’s Steak and Provisions on the North side of Belmond, Howard Enterprise, Printing Services, Inc., Casey’s, Walmart and Theisen’s. Her warm demeanor, friendly smile and welcoming personality made her a perfect fit for each of these jobs as it shined brightly to both friends and acquaintances. Her family shared that “DiDi” truly never met a stranger. She always strived to brighten the days of each and every one she interacted with on her daily routine, a special one-of-a-kind characteristic that all who had the privilege of crossing in her life footsteps will hold dearly. When asked to share descriptions of who Diane was as a person, resoundingly those who were the closest to her shared references of her as a lady who “loved unconditionally, joyful, full of kindness, caring beyond one’s imagination, no one loved like DiDi!, always made time for others. very non-judgmental,” and so much more. Diane was always thinking of new ways to express her love for her family, friends, and strangers, from her special themed gifts of t-shirts at the holidays, to the special scavenger hunts that she loved to set up. Most recently, she hired a professional painter to paint “Chutes and Ladders” ” Hopscotch” and special sayings on her home sidewalk in Iowa Falls that would bring a smile to both young and old as they strolled by her and Clint’s home. One of the sayings on the sidewalk “Just to Put a Smile on Your Face!” is the perfect definition of who Diane truly was in all that she tried to do for everyone she knew.
Diane was a wonderful cook and phenomenal baker. Her family shared that everything she made was from scratch. Her mouth-watering cinnamon rolls and secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies were lovingly gifted to those closest to her. She would often create care packages and goodie baskets for the special events and occasions in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews and their families. Diane made sure that no one ever left her home hungry or thirsty. Her coworkers at the various places she had been employed also looked forward to the treats that Diane would bring to work with her on many occasions as would show her love for each of them. Diane loved her plants and was very fond of doing handicrafts to create many special gifts for everyone. She had an endless supply of crafting, embroidery, and cricket items and all kinds of materials to create things. She enjoyed watching the birds and traveling. DiDi loved to go sightseeing, trips to see both her relatives and to visit her longtime companion Clint Benson’s kids and grandkids. The two of them loved to go on long Harley rides to the river and other places. They loved to enjoy anything that meant spending time together. She looked forward to her daily soap operas and game shows; two favorites were “Bold and the Beautiful” and “Wheel of Fortune.” Her all-time favorite movie was “Hope Floats” as she said it “gives you hope that good things do happen”. Diane was a big kid at heart in so many different ways and shared this wonderful trait in her many years babysitting local families’ children, in her years as a Sunday School teacher and in supervising the nursery at Trinity Lutheran Church where she was a member. She was an avid Mickey Mouse fan and getting to meet him was always a dream that she wanted to come to fruition. This “Bucket List” was accomplished this past March of 2026, just a couple months before her cancer diagnosis when she orchestrated a trip, Clint, Jennifer, James, Isis and Krato’s to Disney World in Florida.
Her memory will continue to burn brightly in the hearts and minds of her longtime companion and love, Clinton Benson, Iowa Falls, IA; daughter Jennifer (Trey) Boeglin and grandchildren Isis and Kratos Countryman, Anna, TX; son James Erickson, Phoenix, AZ; sister Candace (Ron) Fjetland. Clarion, IA, brother Mike (Collen) Trees, Belmond, IA; nephew Jeffrey (Kari) Rabe and their children Kamryn and Jackson, Webster City, IA; niece Krista (Nathan) Ysker and their children: Molly Hartwig, Ryan Hartwig, Khloe Ysker and Kassidy Ysker, Belmond, IA; niece Buffy (Ralph) Ramon and their children Chelsie Jensen and Andrew Ramon, Nora Springs IA ; nephew Danny (Candy) Fjetland and their children Lucas and Madison, Mason City, IA; nephew Mark Fjetland and children Elic and Ali, Clarion, IA; nephew Tyler Trees, Deep River, IA; nephew Justin (Cassy) Trees and son Declan; nephew Spencer (Trisha) Trees and sons Drake and Wyatt, Belmond, IA; Clint’s children: Savannah (Lucas) Stenzel and their daughter Amelia Reyes, Bellevue, NE; daughter MacKenzie (Jacob) Rehm and their children Abigail and Charles, Carter Lake, IA; daughter Rihanna (Harrison) Kryfka and their daughter Kathryn, Carter Lake, IA; daughter Reagan Benson (Zack Gill), Blair, NE; and Markus Benson, Las Vegas, NV. Also many other extended friends and family.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Marj, brother Terry Trees, sister Cynthia Rabe, and brother-in-law Neal Rabe.
Andrews Funeral Homes, Belmond, IA www.
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