Jeanette Hlubek Dietzenbach, age 78, of Decorah, IA passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Mayo Clinic – Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN after a recent metastatic adenocarcinoma diagnosis.  

Mass of Christian Burial was 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 19, 2024, at the St. Luke’s Catholic Church at 215 East Main St. St. Lucas, IA with Rev. Nick Radloff presiding. Burial was in the St. Luke’s Cemetery. Visitation was from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, July 18, 2024, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church and after 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning at the church.  The Helms Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Jeanette Hlubek was born on September 6, 1945, the daughter of Clement and Mathilda (Balk) Hlubek.  Jeanette grew up in Fort Atkinson, Iowa where her grandparents and parents owned and operated the Commercial Hotel.  She attended St. John Nepomucene Elementary School and graduated from St. Luke’s Catholic High School.  Jeanette married Don Kruse on June 5, 1965, and they raised two children.  They later divorced.  

Jeanette attended Business Institute of Technology in Cedar Falls and earned a paralegal degree that enabled her to work in various law offices in northeast Iowa.  She sold World Book Encyclopedias for many years, worked as an administrative assistant in the Education Department at Luther College, coordinated adult basic education classes at NICC, taught piano lessons and music at local Catholic schools, and was a member of the performing group, Fusion.  

Jeanette’s most treasured role was as a church organist.  You might be hard pressed to enter a room of people and not find someone that Jeanette had helped through a jubilant or solemn celebration.  When a family was experiencing a loss, Jeanette was often the first one to contact families to help plan beautiful celebrations to ease difficult times.  Her last days in the hospital were spent meticulously planning the music for her own celebration of life.

Jeanette had an eye for detail.  Jeanette created beautiful Christmas trees, wrapped Christmas gifts impeccably, made the most incredible turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving (from her mother’s recipe), and decorated her home for special celebrations in a manner worthy of a magazine article.  Jeanette was fond of Barbra Streisand and played her records and CDs frequently along with recordings of thunderstorms.

On November 28th, 1997, she married Mel Dietzenbach.  Together they enjoyed gardening and traveling, particularly to Hayward, Wisconsin.  They also spent time researching genealogy and were members of the St. Lucas Historical Society.  They were entertained by the three cats they adopted over the years: Jupiter, Apollo, and Jasmine.

Her grandchildren were her most treasured gifts from God and they all knew how much they were loved.  “Grammy” was known to send mailboxes of “junk” to her grandchildren at every holiday and also sent flowers or balloons for any special event they might experience.  They might have preferred fewer photographs in her presence, but they knew of her great appreciation and admiration of their talents and abilities. She attended many of their concerts, school events, and competitions.

Jeanette is survived by her husband:  Mel Dietzenbach, Decorah, IA.  Daughters:  Kim (Collin) Bender, Waconia, MN and Kelley (Joe) Pujol, Cape Girardeau, MO.  Six grandchildren:  Brock (Mykenzie), Blake, and Haley Bender and Allie, Jacie, and Carly Pujol.  One great-grandchild:  Bridger Bender.  One brother, Robert (Maggie) Hlubek, Ridgeway, IA.  

Jeanette was preceded in death by her father, Clement in 1990, her mother, Mathilda in 1995, and brother, Richard in 2008.