Diane E. Anton

Diane E. Anton, 67, of Glenwood, MN died unexpectedly on March 8, 2019, at CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud, MN.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 23rd at Sacred Heart Church in Glenwood, with Fathers Joe Vandeberg and Eb Schefers officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Friday at the funeral home and at the church one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Calvary Cemetery in Glenwood.  Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Glenwood.

Diane Elizabeth Anton was born on May 10, 1951, in Glenwood, MN to Clifford and Bette Anton. She attended Sacred Heart Church, where she received the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation. She graduated from Central High School in 1969. After high school, Diane went on to college at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Early on, Diane knew that she loved to travel and in 1973, she and her sister Mary drove out to California where Diane lived with her brother Tony for a several months.  She came back to Minnesota before moving to Ohio for a few months. She then returned to the Twin Cities, bought a home and spent quality time with family. She especially loved spending time with her niece and nephews. In March 1991, Diane met the love of her life, Larry Kenney. She had waited many years to find him. They both loved traveling and started their adventures in New Zealand in November 1991. The following year, they traveled to Australia and never looked back. They were married in Glenwood at Sacred Heart Church on January 29, 1994, and in 2019 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.  Diane and Larry lived in Coon Rapids, MN for 13 years before retiring and building a home in Glenwood overlooking Lake Minnewaska. The move allowed them to be closer to Diane’s parents, Cliff and Bette. Unfortunately, Diane wasn't able to spend as much time as she wanted with her parents as Bette passed away in 2009 and Cliff in 2012. After a period of grieving, Diane became more active in the church, becoming a Eucharistic Minister and providing Communion to people who were not able to go the church. She met some lovely people along the way and reconnected with community members she knew as a young girl. It was a very special time for her. Larry and Diane were ushers at church, something she inherited from Cliff who was a faithful usher for more than 50 years. Diane loved animals, especially sweet kitties, and she worked at the local thrift store to support the Pope County Humane Society. She seemed to find "really good" deals too!  Book Club was a passion she acquired after her heart surgery in 2002. She shared many books with her sister and they had long conversations about books they read. Diane also loved playing cards with family, a passion sparked when she played with her Grandma Neuman as a young girl. Her famous quote was, "there are no friends in cards".  She was extremely competitive and won the majority of the time! Diane and Larry continued their travels, going to places such as Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Russia, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico, as well as extensive driving trips through the US.

Diane will be remembered as a passionate person with a strong love for her husband and family. Her smile was infectious and her blue eyes sparkled. Her faith grew as she aged, which made her beauty grow.  

Diane is survived by her loving husband, Larry; brothers Tony (Charleen), Las Vegas, Peter (Bridget), Minneapolis; sister Mary (Kevin),  Long Prairie; sister-in-law Virginia Plaisance (Richard), Eden Prairie, MN; brother-in-law Bill Kenney (friend Evryll), Thousand Oaks, CA and her aunt Polly Neuman, Milwaukee, WI.  Diane is also survived by nephews Jamie Plaisance (Lisa), Mario Anton (Viviana), Dustin Gervais and Nick Anton; and nieces Kristin (Adam) Scherwinski, Katie Plaisance and Claire Anton.  Diane is further survived by great nieces Willow and Lilia Scherwinski, Jada Gervais Stocco and great nephews Elijah Scherwinski and Ethan Anton with baby girl Anton on the way along with many additional nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Cliff and Bette Anton.

Memorials are preferred to the Pope County Humane Society.

"Each night we shed a silent tear, as we speak to you in prayer, to let you know we love you, and just how much we care.  Take our million teardrops and wrap them up in love, then ask the angels to carry them to you in Heaven above."

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