Diane Sue Carpenter, 67, Dies After Cancer Battle

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Diane Sue Carpenter, a 67-year-old resident of Waldron, Michigan who previously lived in Alvordton, Ohio, passed away on March 7, 2026 at a hospice facility in Defiance after a battle with cancer. Carpenter worked as a bank teller for 24 years and was known for her love of gardening, raising donkeys, and attending the annual National Threshers reunion with her late husband Jeffrey.

Why it matters

Carpenter's passing marks the loss of a longtime community member and small business supporter in the Alvordton and Waldron areas, where she lived and worked for decades. Her commitment to family, animals, and local traditions reflects the values of many rural Midwest residents.

The details

Diane Sue Carpenter grew up in Alvordton, Ohio and worked at her family's grocery store as a young woman. She later worked at an IGA store in West Unity until it closed, and then spent 24 years as a bank teller at Farmers & Merchants State Bank in West Unity before retiring. In 2004, she married Jeffrey Wayne Carpenter, and they were members of Betzer Community Church in rural Waldron. Diane enjoyed gardening, raising donkeys, and attending the annual National Threshers reunion with her husband, where they entered a power wagon and tractors.

• Diane Sue Carpenter was born on April 22, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio.
• She graduated from Hilltop High School in 1976.
• Carpenter worked at the IGA store in West Unity until its closure.
• She was employed as a bank teller at Farmers & Merchants State Bank in West Unity for 24 years until her retirement.
• Carpenter married Jeffrey Wayne Carpenter on New Year's Day 2004, and they were married for 22 years until his recent passing on February 1, 2026.

What’s next

Diane's family will hold a visitation and funeral service at the Marry Funeral Home in Fayette, Ohio on Monday, March 16, 2026. She will be privately buried next to her husband Jeffrey in Walnut Grove Cemetery in Alvordton.