Marion "Marnie" Grace Diehl

In 2008 our parents had the foresight to prearranged their funeral services. Our mother wrote her own obituary, and, true to form, she wrote little about herself and more about others.

She was so much more than what she wrote.

She was involved in many areas of her community. Usually the first to volunteer when things needed to be done. She had a love of life that was contagious. She never met a stranger that did not become a friend. She always made each individual she met feel important and special.

During any difficult, hard, or sad times that our family had to endure, our mother always found the strength and wisdom to comfort us and to assure us that everything would turn out alright.

Our father was the foundation of our family. Our mother was the glue that kept us together. She will forever be in our hearts.

Below is her own obituary. Updated a little bit.

Marion “Marnie” Grace (Webber) Diehl, born December 4, 1928 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to the late George and Edna (Brown) Webber, passed away June 19, 2019. Hamilton, Ontario was an Industrial/Steel town back then. Her father was a butcher and owned his own shop. Her parents spent their entire lives in Hamilton.

She first met her husband, Wallace Gordon “Doc” Diehl, in grade school, as they were both from Hamilton, Ontario. Marnie recalls meeting him when he was in 8th grade and she in the 6th. Her friend had a crush on Doc. She says he was called Buddy Diehl by his friends back then. When the war broke out, Doc moved to London, Ontario with his parents and sister.

Doc and Marnie met again while in college. Marnie was a cheerleader for McDonald Institute and she likes to say that their eyes met. Doc was in his third year of Veterinary School and she was in her first year at McDonald Institute. Doc called someone in her residence hall to find out about her. They were later married on September 30, 1949.

They had 5 children but lost one in 1970. William James Diehl was only 18 years old and was just accepted by Purdue University and was interested in becoming a Veterinarian like his father. He was the Pipe Sergeant of the Gordon Pipers, which his father founded. He was a passenger in a single engine airplane that crashed.

Their eldest child (son) is Gordon Scott (Cheryl) Diehl, a Veterinarian like his father. He lives in San Clemente, CA. One of his daughters (Doc’s granddaughter) is also is a veterinarian. The two boys are the oldest, and then came three daughters. Marnie Barbara (Gary) Neal of St. Louis, Soupy Diehl (Chris) Kermode of Evansville, IN. Marnie Barb nicknamed her sister when a baby as “Soupy” and she is the only child still in the Gordon Pipers, where she is an honorary Pipe Major and charter member of the band. The youngest daughter is Heather Christine (Tim) Kaiser previously of Brownsburg. She and her husband owned a Heating and A/C company in Indianapolis.

They have 12 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren with one on the way.

All five of their children played the bagpipes. Doc founded the Gordon Pipers Band in 1962. Soupy is the only child still in the band currently. Doc said that she will take it over someday.

Marnie was a cheerleader in both high school and college. She worked for her father’s butcher shop in the office while in Hamilton, Ontario and when they left to start her husband’s career as a Veterinarian she stopped working and started having children. Her first was born in Chicago (Gordon Scott), her second while they were in Detroit (William James) and then when they moved to Indianapolis they had the three girls. Her husband liked to kid that something changed when they moved to Indianapolis as they started having girls.

Marnie said that her favorite place is being home or anywhere her husband “Doc” was. She said that the Gordon Pipers has been a big part of their lives, even though she was never in the band. She really enjoyed the Tartan Ball every year that the Gordon Pipers held annually for many years.

She said she wasn’t sure if she’s had her “greatest day” yet, but has had many.

After selling their property at 9340 N. Michigan Rd. they moved to Brownsburg. There is currently a restaurant on that site today. They attended Bethel United Methodist Church on West 52nd Street in Indianapolis.

Her husband bought her a resort to run on Lake Shaffer in Monticello, Indiana that they called the Gordon Piper Resort. They spent a lot of time there in the summer months.

She will have several of her favorite tunes played at her funeral service by the Gordon Pipers. Some of them are: Amazing Grace, Highland Cathedral, and Going Home. She said that their daughter Soupy plays Highland Cathedral beautifully as a solo with a little accompaniment by the band.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 28, 2019 from 4-8 PM at Leppert Mortuary, Nora Chapel, 740 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 2:30 pm at Bethel United Methodist Church, 5252 W. 52nd Street, Indianapolis, IN. Interment to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Marnie’s memory may be made to the Gordon Pipers, P.O. Box 1331, Greenwood, Indiana, 46142.

To share a memory, please visit www.leppertmortuary.com.