Adele C. Stemler

OREGON- Adele Stemler, aged 69, passed away on Friday, April 29, at home in Evansville, surrounded by family and friends, after a short but courageous battle with brain cancer. Adele was born in Chicago, to father, Carl, and mother, Adeline (Jurecki) Stemler and grew up in Grayslake, Illinois. She received her BA as well as MSSW in Social Work from UW-Madison. Adele is survived by her beloved husband, Russell Diggins,Sr.; sisters, Carol and Arlene; brothers, Carl and Alan; special nieces and nephews, as well as her stepchildren, Russell Diggins, Jr. (Tanya), Deanna (David) Lothe, and Patrick Diggins, and her grandchildren, Sam, Emma, Lydia, Sean, Ian, and Addie, who gave her her favorite name, "Grandma".  She is also mourned by several friends she thought of as family, and her devoted dog, Poncho.  The family would like to thank Dr. Steven Howard and RN Lori Hayes from the Department of Human Oncology, Carbone Cancer Center, for their compassion and professional expertise. They would also like to thank the Agrace HospiceCare Team in Rock County for the respectful care, pain management, and the many resources they provided which enabled Adele to remain at home. The family would like to thank the five members of Adele's women's group of 40 years for their tireless help and support during her illness. They were there almost every day, doing everything possible to ease the way through this difficult time. Their love and assistance will never be forgotten. Adele will be remembered for many things, but one that stands out is her ability to keep setting new goals and challenges for herself, and meeting each one. It made her a strong and multifaceted person, with a wide variety of skills, passions, and interests. We all loved her and will miss her terribly. A celebration of Adele's life will be scheduled at a future date. Memorials may be made to the National Brain Tumor Society, http://braintumor.org or Hoping Fur a Home dog rescue, 6907 University Ave., Middleton, Wis. 53562, www.hopingfurahome.com.  "Happy trails to you until we meet again." Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com