Gretchen Marie (Dierks) Oines
July 10, 1951–January 23, 2025
Gretchen Marie (Dierks) Oines, age 73, of Mount Horeb, formerly of Wauzeka, passed away in her sleep on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. Gretchen was born on July 10, 1951, and grew up traveling from coast to coast with her parents, William and Doris (Vetter) Dierks, and twin brothers.
After her father retired from the U.S. Navy, the family settled in the Seattle area when Gretchen was a teenager. She spent her free time exploring the wilderness, making it to every national park west of the Missouri River with her family.
Gretchen graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1969 and the University of Washington in 1973. She first worked as a community organizer with VISTA in urban Detroit, followed by an office job in the remote Lutheran retreat center of Holden Village in the Cascade Wilderness. There she met her future husband, Joel, who arrived to work as a carpenter. They were married within the year and bought a house in Clear Lake, Iowa.
After finishing their degrees, they returned to Holden Village, Gretchen as nurse and staff coordinator, Joel as Lutheran pastor. Their son, Micah, was born, and they moved back to the Midwest where Gretchen began her long nursing career at the hospital in Boscobel. They settled in the nearby town of Wauzeka, where Joel found work as a pastor. Their second son, Samuel, was born, and they lived in Wauzeka for the next 30 years.
Between night shifts at the hospital, Gretchen enjoyed gardening, reading mystery novels, listening to the radio with her tea, and watching movies. She loved spending time with her sons, who loved to make her laugh. Later in life she loved holding her grandsons, which she could do with infinite patience and serenity.
Gretchen is survived by her husband, Joel; her sons, Micah (Kristin) and Sam Oines; and grandsons, Aaron and Ethan Oines. She was preceded in death by her parents; and brothers, Dave and Dan Dierks.
A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date.
A special thank you to the entire staff at Azura Memory Care in Stoughton. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
