Anne Diener Pflum died suddenly Wednesday evening in Beaver Dam Community Hospital after being admitted earlier in the day. The cause of death is pending.

The daughter of Albert and Aurelia Diener, she grew up the oldest of six children in Dunkirk, Indiana. A lover of books, music, and writing, she excelled in school and won numerous awards. Among her early honors: being named as a delegate to Girl's Nation, an honor bestowed upon just 100 young women in the nation. She spent time with Harry Truman in the rose garden of the White House.

Diener Pflum earned a BA from Marion College in Indianapolis and a Master's Degree from Ball State University. She taught numerous subjects throughout her lifelong teaching career, but devoted the last 30 years to serving the Slinger School District as a speech and language pathologist for students ranging in age from 3 to 18. Serving the students -- as well as their entire families -- was a primary passion of Diener Pflum, who frequently said there was no greater honor than educating the nation's future generation. She was still working fulltime as a teacher at the time of her death.

A renaissance woman, Diener Pflum maintained lifelong interests in music, film, philosophy, and literature and was a devoted Catholic who attended mass several times a week. Hobbies included visiting children and grandchildren and overseeing family reunions at her favorite establishment, Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel.

Diener Pflum is survived by two children --Anthony Richard Pflum of Richardson, TX and Mary Pflum Peterson of New York, NY--and seven grandchildren. She is additionally survived by five siblings: Mary Diener of Rochester, NY; Pat Diener Osman of Beverly Hills, CA; Kathy Diener Boland of Golden, CO; Al Diener of Decatur, IL; and Mike Diener of Golden, CO.

She was preceded in death by her parents and by a brother, Kevin Walter.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Anne Diener Pflum will take place on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Katharine Drexel Parish, 511 S. Spring St. in Beaver Dam and will be presided over by Fathers Jim and John Bergin, longtime family friends of Diener Pflum. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. 135 Keller Blvd. in Beaver Dam from 5-8 p.m. and on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11:00 a.m. at the Church. A luncheon will follow the Mass at St. Katharine Drexel Parish, 131 W. Maple Ave. in Beaver Dam. Burial will take place in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Dunkirk, Indiana.

Memorials in Anne Diener Pflum's name may be directed to Slinger School District Special Education Department or Theresa's Closet, 207 Polk St., Slinger, WI 53086. Both of these organizations were very dear to her heart.

Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services in Beaver Dam is honored to be serving the family.