Diane Selma 'Erickson' Kukuk, age 82 years old, passed away peacefully due to old age in hospice care at Moose Lake on October 6, 2024.

Annie, as she was often known, was born on November 18, 1941 in Albert Lea, Minnesota to Donald and Ellen Erickson. She was the oldest of eight children. Baptized and confirmed at Peace Lutheran in Hartford, MN; she remained a humble Christian all her life.

She grew up on the family farm in Albert Lea where she enjoyed riding horses, trapping muskrats and tending to the farm. She attended the one-room country schoolhouse in Ellendale until the sixth grade where she was the only girl in class. She graduated from Waseca High School in 1959, and then worked for three years at E.F. Johnson making CB radios.

Diane met Gene 'Kutch' Kukuk as he was the farm's milk man. They began dating and were united in holy matrimony on April 26, 1961. While in Waseca, they had their son Butchie, daughter Kimmy, and son Jr. Pooling their money, they bought a farm in Danforth, Minnesota. Another daughter, Crystal, was born. They began dairy farming and weathered tornados, poor farmland, and lack of water before eventually turning the farm into a junkyard.

Diane worked at the Duxbury store, before moving into Sandstone where she worked as a cook at Maggie's and at the nursing home. She was a lover of culture; collecting everything relating to music (especially hairbands), movies (comedies mostly), sculptures, art and everything else that amused her in her own special way. Her home was always open and was usually filled with her grandchildren. While all of her earthly possessions have been lost, the memories and love that she had and shared is a vast enough inheritance for everyone who knew her.

Diane is survived by her children Cory "Butchie" Kukuk of Danforth, Kim (Randy) Millner of Finlayson, Crystal (David) Ziegler of Finlayson; sisters Mary (Todd) Anderson of Sandstone, Joellen (James) Hamann of Preston; brothers Dave (Joan) Erickson of Askov and Michael Erickson of Tampa, Florida; eleven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, brothers-in-law, Jerry Arnold and Mark Madison; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Diane was preceded in death by her husband Gene Kukuk; son Kip "Jr" Kukuk; parents Donald and Ellen Erickson; grandson Cody Kukuk; sisters Becky Arnold and Laurie Madison; and brother Donald Erickson.

Visitation will start at 12 PM, Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Danforth Community Chapel with the service beginning at 1 PM. Reverend Peter Dobson will be officiating, with an interment and luncheon to follow the service. The interment will take place at Danforth cemetery with the interning of both Diane and Gene.

Arrangements by Methven Funeral and Cremation Services of Sandstone, MN.