Diane Lois Annen
November 4, 1949 ~ May 8, 2026
Diane Lois Annen, 76, of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away on May 8, 2026, after a long battle with dementia at Heisinger Bluffs in Jefferson City.
She was born on November 4, 1949, in New Ulm, Minnesota, as the youngest daughter of Daniel and Marcella (Blumhofer) Gruber.
Diane met her husband of 57 years, Ron Annen, while attending Mankato State University. They were married on June 21, 1968.
Soon after, Diane worked with Ron tirelessly to establish and successfully operate their first restaurant in Faribault, Minnesota. For more than 50 years, she diligently managed all the accounts and finances for the restaurants with great care and attention to detail.
Diane was a devout Catholic and took great pride in being a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. In her spare time when she wasn’t working, she enjoyed socializing with family and friends, gardening, skiing, baking, traveling, walking and spoiling her pets.
Diane had many wonderful qualities, but one of her best was always bringing a ray of sunshine to the lives of her family and friends. She was always so positive, caring and willing to help everyone no matter how busy she was. Diane will be greatly missed and forever remembered by all who knew and loved her.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Ron; her children: Kristie Annen-Kirby (Todd Kirby), Chloe Sebaugh (Jason) and Maxwell Annen; three grandchildren: Reagan, Jane and Charles Sebaugh; her sister Arlene Bastian (Cletus) and many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins.
A visitation will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 2305 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65109.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 2305 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO, 65109, with the Rev. Stephen Jones officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Diane Annen.
Services entrusted to Trimble Funeral Homes – Jefferson City. trimblefunerals.com
Services
Visitation: Friday, May 15, 2026 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Cathedral of St. Joseph
2215 West Main Street
Jefferson City, Missouri 65109
Mass of Christian Burial: Friday, May 15, 2026 11:00 am
Cathedral of St. Joseph
2215 West Main Street
Jefferson City, Missouri 65109
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Ron & family, I am so very sorry to hear of your loss of Diane. She was such a sweet, gentle, loving soul. I remember the ski trips, & the Country Kitchen Conventions. I, also, remember at Mayo when I participated in her care. She will be dearly missed! Hugs & prayers to all of you. Sandi Beier
Love, Jane
Sue Hoffman
Take care in these difficult times.
Love, Steve & Heidi Hanson.
I am so sad to hear of Diane’s passing. I will always remember her smile and the brightness about her. My kids and I still cherish the times we were able to keep her beloved Simba when they went out of town as well as their other pets. Diane will definitely be missed. Love & prayers for Ron and her children and grandchildren and all others who loved her. 💕
Give her lemons, and she made lemonade. She faced so many challenges throughout her life, but she never let them get her down. She would buckle down, persevere, and get through anything.
Twenty-one years ago, we thought we were losing her to Stage IV cancer. To witness her faith during that time was extraordinary. Despite a poor prognosis, she believed with all her heart that God would heal her.
I was with her when she received her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and that wasn’t going to shake her either. She took it in stride and handled the disease with incredible grace and dignity. She believed she would be healed here on earth or in Heaven.
She was selfless. If you needed help, she would drop everything to be there for you.
She taught us the value of family. We are a tight-knit family, and she truly was the glue that held us all together.
She was the hardest worker you could ever meet. After finishing her shift at Country Kitchen, you could find her sewing Halloween costumes for us kids. And when she wasn’t doing that, she was cleaning. She was always doing something. She never stopped moving. She could make anyone feel lazy.
So many people stopped by this week to talk about how kind and generous she was — and she truly was. She was always baking cookies for a new neighbor who had just moved in or making her annual Christmas cookies for the lucky people who received them.
There are countless more examples of the traits she possessed, far more than there is time to share today. But when you think of Diane Annen, the words that come to mind are: devout Catholic, positive, selfless, humble, hardworking, and generous.
Above all else, she was deeply loved, and she will be missed more than words can express. I was lucky enough to know her and blessed to have her as my Mom. She was one in a million.
We are holding you and your family close in our thoughts, and hope you and your family can find comfort in the wonderful memories you shared with her.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Diane was such a wonderful lady. I’ll be praying for Ron and the family.