Dorothy Dianne Birrer

Dorothy Dianne Birrer passed peacefully at home with her family on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. She fought a long and courageous battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Fred cared for her daily so she could be comfortable in her own home until the end. She was born in the Old Murray Hospital in Butte on Saturday August 8, 1942 to Fred Carlos Braus and Dorothy Alpha Churchill. She attended kindergarten at the Immaculate Conception School, went through all Catholic schools and graduated from Girl’s Central in 1960. She earned her nursing degree from Carroll College in 1963. Her first job was working in surgery at St. James Community Hospital where she met her first husband, Dennis Lloyd Klemp. They married in 1964 and together had four children. She became a member of St. Ann’s Church in 1966 when they moved to their current home. Dianne later married Fred Jay Birrer on January 12, 1973. Together they had one daughter, Amy. Dianne passed two months before their 50th wedding anniversary. Dianne started work at Silver Bow General in 1972 serving in surgery, ER, med floor, chemical dependency unit and the psychiatric unit. She also worked at the Butte Park Royal Nursing Home, Rivendell and later for BlueCross-BlueShield in nursing care review management. Dianne was gifted with a very strong work ethic, a genuine compassion for all she cared for and when in conversation her favorite line was, “You know, I am a nurse” and she meant it and lived it. She retired in 2010. Dianne’s favorite memories as a child were time spent at Georgetown Lake where her parents had a trailer and boat and time spent with her aunts and uncles, especially Helen and Vern Hensley where card games were always played. As a mother, she was involved in Tea and Talk, taught CCD at St. Ann’s Church, taught bible classes and sewing. She was very gifted in all crafts from sewing to toll painting, scrapbooking to crocheting, knitting, collecting antiques, card making, beading and especially shopping. She attended craft conventions in several states and always brought home new artsy skills. She was never doing just one thing. If she were playing cards she would be crocheting amidst the shuffling of cards. Dianne was certified as an EMT 1988 and also by the Red Cross for CPR. She was an instructor for both first aid and CPR. Another of her great passions was bridge. She began playing in 1992 and was extremely proud of her Life Master status, attained in 2010. Her goal was to earn an additional milestone, Silver Life Master, in her bridge career which required 1000 points, she had 909. Mom dearly loved playing bridge and those she played with. If you asked her what she was most proud of in life she would answer “her kids” because kids were the most important thing she wanted out of life. Yet, if you asked her children what their mom was most proud of, they would say her grandchildren because she passionately loved each and every one of them. Dianne is preceded in death by her parents and several aunts and uncles. Survivors include her husband of nearly 50 years, Fred Birrer, her children: Dennis M. Klemp DMD and his wife Melodi and their children: Colby (Brittany; children Jonah and Ally), Courtney and Gracie; Daniel R. Klemp OD his wife Peggy and their kids, Lauren and Ryan; David Klemp and his wife Jennifer and their children, Kendall and Kamryn; Debbie D. Jose, her husband Robert and their children, Daniel and Haley; Amy A Foley and her husband Dan and their children, Bethanney, Declan and Emmet, her extended family, Thomas Klemp and his wife Billie and their children Max, Ben and Maddie, as well as her many cousins including special friend cousins, Lynn Loving and Janet Churchill, who would visit often and attend plays which were also one of Mom’s favorites at Virginia City and Philipsburg. Cremation has taken place. Funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 26th at 11a.m at St. Ann’s Parish. A special thank you goes out to Senior Solutions, Jorden Guay, Abby Riordan and Bernie McCarthy and neighbors, John and Diane Stenson for all the tender love and care for mom over the past many months. Memorials may be made to Senior Solutions or to Butte Catholic Education Fund.

Tributes

Dorothy Dianne Birrer

August 8, 1942 - November 8, 2022