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William Diederich (1929 - Mary Theresa Klein (1930 - John William7 Diederich (Joseph Charles6, John William5, Johann4, Johann Nicolaus3, Paul2, Johann Nicolaus1) was born at 5:55 a.m. 30 August 1929 at St. Mary's Hospital at Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wisconsin, the son of Joseph Charles and Alice Florence (Yost) Diederich. L. M. Lundmark, M.D. was the attending physician. His birth is recorded in Rusk County birth records, v 14, no. 744. He was baptized __ September 1929 at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church at Ladysmith. His sponsors were the Reverend C.C. Herr, a family friend, and Mary Loretta (Yost) Williams, his aunt. See the baptism records of the church. He married Mary Theresa Klein 25 November 1950 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church at 117 East Van Buren Street, Port Washington, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. Charles William Gilles, O.M.I. presided. Father Gilles is a first cousin of Mary's mother. The witnesses were Joseph Charles Diederich II, brother of the groom, and Dorothy Mae Altendorf, a friend of the bride. The marriage is recorded in the marriage register of the church. See also Ozaukee County marriage records, v. 16, no. 352. She was born at 11:40 p.m. 21 January 1930 at St. Joseph's Hospital at Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, the daughter of Joseph Ferdinand and Lorraine Marcella (Hubing) Klein. G. A. Hipke, M.D., 141 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, was the attending physician. At the time of her birth, her parents were residing at 689 Milwaukee Street, Port Washington. See Milwaukee County birth records, v 993, p. 298 and the records of the Bureau of Vital Statistics, Wisconsin State Board of Health, 1930, p. 830. She was baptized __ February 1930 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church at Port Washington. Her sponsors were Nicholas Hubing and Mary (Wester) Klein, her grandparents. See the baptism records of the church. John William Diederich attended kindergarten at the public school, Bloomer, Chippewa County, Wisconsin, from September 1934 until June 1935. He attended the first seven grades at St. Paul's Parochial School at Bloomer from September 1935 until June 1942. He attended the eighth grade at Notre Dame Parochial School at Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County from September 1942 until June 1943. He attended the first year of high school at McDonnell Memorial High School at Chippewa Falls from September 1943 until June 1944. In September 1944, he transferred to Chippewa Falls Senior High School and was graduated in June 1947. While in high school, he was a carrier boy for the Chippewa Falls Herald-Telegram from July 1942 until August 1943. In August 1943, he became the circulation agent at Chippewa Falls for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch. He kept this agency until July 1944, when he went to work on the Strauss farm at Falls Creek, Wisconsin, detassling corn. This seasonal job ended in August 1944. From May 1945 until June 1945, he worked as a clerk in the Oleson Drug Store at Chippewa Falls. During July and August 1945, he again detassled corn at the Strauss farm. From September 1945 until September 1947, he was a messenger for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Chippewa Falls. On the basis of a competitive examination, he received a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship to Marquette University, Milwaukee. He attended the College of Journalism at Marquette University from September 1947 to June 1951 and was graduated with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Journalism on 13 June 1951. While at Marquette University, he worked for the Mossey-Otto Company from March until June 1948, delivering dental supplies. From February 1949 until June 1951, he worked in the composing room of Marquette University Press as a printer. He was also make-up editor of the weekly Marquette Tribune. He was an engraver for Williston Engraving Company from March to June 1951. Upon graduation from Marquette University, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, 13 June 1951. He attended the ninth and eleventh special basic courses at the officers’ basic school at Marine Corps schools, Quantico, Prince William County, Virginia, from June 1951 to 8 March 1952. He was then assigned to the Marine Corps Educational Center, where he served as assistant officer in charge of the training aids section until 9 September 1952 when he was assigned to the 21st communications officers’ course. He completed this course 7 February 1953 at the head of his class with the highest grade average ever achieved at the communications officers’ school. He was then transferred to the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic where he served as communications officer of the 2nd 155mm Gun Battalion at Camp Geiger, Onslow County, North Carolina until 12 September 1953 when he was discharged from the regular Marine Corps, accepted a reserve commission and was released from active duty. In September 1953, he entered the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He was graduated in June 1955 with the degree of master of Business Administration with High Distinction. He was also awarded the Baker Scholar Key. He retained his reserve commission in the Marine Corps, and while attending the Harvard Business School, he served as a platoon leader with the 1st Signal Company, U. S. Marine Corps Reserve, at Worcester, Massachusetts. On 20 August 1955, he transferred to Marine Air Reserve Squadron VMF-233 at Norfolk, Virginia, and served in that squadron until 30 September 1964. During this period he had various assignments including electronics officer, avionics officer, training officer, and administrative officer. On 30 September 1964, he transferred to Marine Air Reserve Group 20 at Norfolk, where he served as S-1 and adjutant. On 7 February 1966, he transferred to the standby reserve. He was promoted to first lieutenant 1 December 1952; to captain, 18 March 1954; to major, 1 October 1961; and to lieutenant colonel, 1 September 1966. On 1 July 1971, he transferred to the retired reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a part-time instructor on the faculty of Boston University during 1954 and taught various evening courses in the School of Business Administration of Old Dominion University at Norfolk, Virginia, from 1955 to 1959. Upon graduation from the Harvard Business School in June 1955, he joined Landmark Communications, Inc. (then Norfolk Newspapers, Inc.) as research director. He held this post until November 1961, when he became controller of the company and of its broadcast subsidiary, WTAR Radio-TV Corporation. He was promoted to secretary/treasurer in 1964 and to vice-president and treasurer in April 1965. He became a member of Landmark's board of directors in April 1967. He became executive vice-president/finance in April 1973, executive vice-president/community newspapers in April 1978, and executive vice-president and chief financial officer in April 1982. He served as chairman of the board of Landmark Community Newspapers, Inc. from 1977 to 1988 and as president of Executive Productivity Systems, Inc. from 1982 to 1988. He retired from these various posts on 1 September 1990, but he continues to serve as a member of the boards of directors and chairman of the investment committees of Landmark Communications, Inc., TeleCable Corporation, and the Landmark Foundation. He has been a member of the National Association of Accountants, the Institute of Newspaper Controllers and Finance Officers, the Institute of Broadcasting Financial Management, and president of the Tidewater Virginia professional chapter of Sigma Delta Chi. He also has been a member of the Lay Advisory Board of DePaul Hospital. His hobbies include photography and genealogy, and he is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the American Numismatic Association, the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the National Genealogical Society, and the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Mary Theresa Klein attended kindergarten at the Wisconsin Street Public School, Port Washington, from September 1934 until June 1935. She attended the first ten grades at St. Mary's Parochial School at Port Washington, from September 1935 until June 1945. She graduated from Port Washington High School in June 1947. She attended the College of Liberal Arts at Marquette University until June 1950. She was a member of Chi Sigma Chi Sorority and Fatima Club. She was employed as a playground supervisor during the summer of 1950 at Port Washington and then as an office clerk at the Knellsville Canning Company there. She joined the Convention Bureau of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce in October 1950 as a secretary and was employed there until June 1951, when she and her husband moved to Virginia. She attended Old Dominion University on a part-time basis from 1962 to 1970 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in June 1970. She studied media production at Tidewater Community College at Virginia Beach during 1980 and 1981. She played the viola in the Old Dominion University Orchestra from 1966 to 1973. She joined the Virginia Beach Pops Symphony Orchestra in 1973 as a viola player. She also played the recorder with the Pro Musica Group of St. Aiden's Episcopal Church at Virginia Beach for three years. She is a cantor and a religious education teacher of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church at Virginia Beach. The Diederichs reside in Incline Village, Nevada. The Diederichs had 14 children, but 1 died in infancy: Mary Theresa Diederich = Flint
Baxter Evans |