Dianne Buchholz Obituary

Dianne Bertine (Steile) Buchholz, 82, of Howard, OH, passed away Monday, September 8, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at home in Howard.

Dianne was born on April 28, 1943, in Bagley, Minnesota, to Harold and Ragna (Qually) Steile, along with her twin sister, Darlene. She grew up on the family farm in Gully, MN, with her parents, sister, and two brothers, Ron and Rick. She often told stories of the many neighbors who visited on the weekends to enjoy the wonderful baking her mom did, about collecting eggs from the chicken coop, and about playing the piano and singing with her sister.

Dianne first met Arden when she and her friend were walking down a street during the end-of-year school party at Gully Hall. Arden drove by and stopped to talk to her but found out she was five years younger than him and had just finished eighth grade, so he drove on. But she made an impression on him, and about five years later they started dating while she was at college at the University of MN. Arden was still farming in Fosston, so Dianne would find rides home from Minneapolis so she could spend time with him on the weekends. All those trips were worthwhile, because she soon married Arden Ronald Buchholz on December 19, 1964.

After graduating, they moved to Fosston, MN, where she taught at the elementary school for two years. Soon after, she and Arden settled in Halstad, MN, where she started teaching fifth grade and they built their first home. Teaching was Dianne’s passion, and she would go on to teach for thirty-two years, concluding at Norman County West Elementary School in Hendrum, MN, after the Halstad and Hendrum school districts combined. She was principal for two years in Hendrum but returned to the classroom, where she found the greatest joy working directly with her students. Some students referred to her as “Mom,” many said she was their favorite teacher, and others said she was the reason they went into teaching. She was a role model who deeply influenced those around her, both at work and at home.

In 1970, Aaron, her first son, was born. He remained an only child until 1975, when he got three sisters in a span of six months. In January of that year, Jill (3 years old) was adopted from South Korea. Bo (6 years old) arrived from South Korea in March, and Cara was born in June.

To add to the fun and chaos of so many children that year, there were two large floods in the spring and summer, affecting their home. Dianne often recalled being nine months pregnant with Cara when her rubber boots sank deep into the mud, leaving her stuck until a neighbor came by and pulled her out. There were many floods at this house, but Dianne was resilient and kept going. When floodwaters surrounded the house, she and Arden loaded all the kids into a boat and paddled them onto dry land so they could get to school on time.

In 1982, the family continued to grow as they became foster parents to two brothers from Vietnam, Huy Le and Tuan Le, and then again in 1989, when brother and sister Viet Ta and Hong-Van Ta arrived from Vietnam.

The adventurous spirit that inspired her students also taught her children through travels. The family always had a large vehicle packed full with bags and kids as they drove around the United States on many road trips. Arden drove and Dianne was the navigator (no GPS back then), with multiple maps on her lap, telling him where to turn. With so many kids, they had to be resourceful, and there were often a few sleeping bags snuck into the hotel for some of them to sleep on the floor. Dianne collected refrigerator magnets of all the states the family visited and was just short of having a full set of fifty.

Dianne was active in many women’s groups in the community and always volunteered to do her part. She was a member of Landstad Lutheran Church, where on potluck days, instead of bringing one dish to share, she would bring a full meal—salad, hotdish, bars, and a large beverage container. When asked why she brought so many dishes, she said that she wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat. She also spent many weeks of her summer freezing produce from the garden so her family would have healthy vegetables throughout the year.

In 2000, Dianne retired from teaching, and she and Arden built a home in Lakemont, Georgia. She spent much time there going to concerts, reading, and enjoying her view of the beautiful Georgia mountains.

In 2013, Dianne and Arden sold their Halstad and Georgia homes and moved to Howard, OH, to live closer to Aaron. Some years later, Dianne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and received care from hospice at the end. She expressed to her kids that she was thankful for the very full life she had and was ready to go to heaven.

Dianne’s life was a testament to love, education, and generosity, and she will be remembered with gratitude and love by all who knew her.

Dianne will be deeply missed by her husband of 60 years, Arden Buchholz; children Bo Fowler (Chicago, IL), Aaron (Melinda) Buchholz (St. Louisville, OH), Jill (Jeff) Kyong-McClain (Clarkston, WA), Cara Lawrence (Albuquerque, NM), Huy (Dung) Le (Auburn, WA), Tuan (Thuy) Le (Federal Way, WA), and Hong-Van (David) Wamsley (Seattle, WA); grandchildren Akiko (Jake) Kyong-McClain, Owen Kyong-McClain, Cole Buchholz, Noah Buchholz, Lyla Lawrence, Vu Le, Vinh Le, Vi Rellama (Jeremy), Jennifer Le (Jona), Jonathan Le, and Vianna Wamsley; sister Darlene (Dan) Alsup (Plymouth, MN); brother Richard (Sandra) Steile (Silver Lake, MN); and sister-in-law Sonja Steile (Gully, MN). Dianne was preceded in death by her parents, brother Ron Steile, and her son Viet Ta.

Friends and family will gather for a celebration of life next summer in Minnesota. Online tributes may be written at www.RobertsFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or Gentiva Hospice in lieu of flowers.