Dianne Elizabeth Fema

Dianne Elizabeth Fema, born August 28th, 1964, passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer on February 10th, 2017. She was the third child of five born to William (Bill) and Elizabeth (Liz) Fema, in La Crosse Wisconsin. Bill was a career Navy man so the family traveled to many different places in America during Dianne’s early years. Dianne had a sister Renee, and three bothers Billy, Jeff, and Joey. Tragedy struck the young family when Dianne’s youngest Brother Joey was hit by a drunk driver and suffered catastrophic injuries when he was only seven years old. Joey survived the accident, but was physically and mentally handicapped for the remainder of his life. Dianne and her older sister, Renee, both witnessed the accident and were traumatized by it for many years. When Dianne was nine, her big brother Billy committed suicide, which left a hole her heart for the rest of her life. These tragedy’s impacted the family so dramatically. Bill and Liz would be divorced a couple of years later. Dianne went to live with her mother at about the age of eleven and they lived a very nomadic life. They never lived in one place for more than two years at a time, until Dianne was twelve. Then they settled in Fort Collins. Dianne was about fourteen when her mother Liz told her, she wanted to move again and this time to Florida. Dianne didn’t want to leave because she had already started Fort Collins High School. Dianne wanted to stay in Fort Collins until she graduated. She insisted on staying and would not take no for an answer. At first her mother was against her decision, but finally agreed on one condition, only if Dianne could find someone her mother would trust to take care of her, and who would also be willing to let Dianne into their home. She found two such people in Don Hannah, (their landlord) and Nancy Meginness, a family friend. They all agreed she could stay and finish high school. Dianne was a good student and seldom missed a class. She even got a job at a nearby donut shop. When she wasn’t in school she would work so she could “pay her way”. She insisted upon this and paid $100.00 rent on time every month while going to high school. It was during this time she found her love for music and art. Dianne enjoyed making art projects and excelled at them in school. She used pastels, oils and pencils to create interesting lovely pictures and she almost always gave her artwork away to anyone who admired it. She never gave up her creative side and found new ways to express it. Dianne discovered she had an amazingly sweet voice and loved to sing songs and harmonies. She made a point of seeking out local musicians and singers. She enjoyed learning all she could and became quite a good musician. Music would always be a big part of her life. She knew a large group of talented musicians. She would sing her heart out at any opportunity. Dianne always was an energetic and very kind hearted person. She had a massive amount of friends that she met throughout her life. Friends from high school, musician friends. She found many lifelong friendships from people and musicians during her time hanging out at local spot called the Bar Bazaar. Dianne also met many people from her years of working as a waitress in old town Fort Collins at The Mountain Café for a longtime friend and owner, Moe Kamandy. Dianne took care of her sister Renee Fema in Deadwood South Dakota when she needed surgery in 2005. Her sister Renee passed away in 2006. Dianne looked after and gave guidance to Renee’s son Matthew Mosher. Occasionally as Dianne grew older, however, the traumas of her childhood came back to haunt her in the form of episodic mental illness. When these episodes would happen, Dianne would withdraw from her longtime friends and family and become lost and not act herself. After awhile she would come out of the episode and felt and acted “normal” again. She would continue to work and return to her great love of singing. She was always embarrassed and hurt by what was happening to her and how she reacted to her pain. During the later time in Dianne’s life, she befriended many people in the Fort Collins homeless community, and also people from Grace Fellowship Church in Fort Collins lead by Pastor Joanie Ruggles. No matter what was going on in her life, Dianne kept an abiding love of God in her heart. Dianne told everyone, the Lord was the only one who had “pulled her through” this difficult life. Dianne was a loving person who had a smile that lit up a room. She was a woman who suffered many traumas, but you would not know that by her smile. She made friends wherever she went, and would always go out of her way to help anyone. Dianne was preceded in death by her father, Bill, her mother, Liz, her oldest brother, Billy, her older sister, Renee, her brother Jeff, and her younger brother, Joey. Surviving her are her maternal nephew, Matt Mosher and his father David Mosher, and her dearest longtime friend, Kitty Luther in Fort Collins, her foster mother, Nancy Meginness, Oakland California, her foster brother, Ed Johns, West Plains, Missouri, her foster sister, Sheila Parrish, Longmont Colorado and her foster sister, Joan (Joni) Johns, Seattle Washington. We will all will miss Dianne’s sunny disposition and her sweet harmonies. This world will be a little less bright without her grace. God bless Dianne and keep her close in your heart and memories until we get to sing with her again. Please join us for: A Wake to celebrate Dianne’s Fema’s Life will be held on Tuesday, February 28th 2017 from 5 pm to 9 pm at the American Legion 2124 Country Road 54g, Fort Collins, CO. Then on, March 1st, 2017 a Memorial Service will be held at 11 am at Grace Fellowship Church, 1201 N College Ave. Fort Collins, CO. Following the memorial, a graveside service will be held at Grandview Cemetery, 413 S Bryan Ave. Fort Collins, CO. Donation for Dianne Fema can be sent to: Bohlender Funeral Chapel Grace Fellowship @ http://gracereconciliationministries.org/ GofundMe for funeral costs @ https://www.gofundme.com/dianne-femas-memorial-fundraiser Please make donations to the homeless in Dianne’s name.

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Dianne Elizabeth Fema

February 10, 1964 - February 10, 2017