Diane Batie

WEBSTER- Diane Batie, 85 of Auburndale, FL and formerly of Webster died on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale, FL. Her funeral will be at 2:00 P.M. Friday, October 30, 2009 at Fiksdal Funeral Chapel in Webster, Rev. John Hisel will officiate. Burial will be at Webster Cemetery. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service on Thursday 5-7 P.M. and prior to services on Friday. F. Diane Batie was born on Sunday, January 27, 1924. She was the eighth of ten children born to Elbert Isaac Parker and Ada (Lewis) Parker at the family home near Covington, Georgia. She was raised and attended school near Covington until moving to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with her older sister Mary Parker Veal and her brother-in-law, Virgil Veal, for her senior year of high school. She graduated from Russell High School in East Point, Georgia, in 1942. Following high school she worked as a telephone operator at the Georgia state capitol. She married LaVern “Baldy” Batie at Ft. McPherson, Georgia, on June 27, 1945. They briefly lived near Ft. Bragg, NC, until her husband was stationed overseas. Diane returned to her job at the Georgia state capitol until the end of WWII. After WWII, they briefly lived in East Point, Georgia, before returning to Webster, South Dakota. She lived in Webster until her health started to decline and she went to stay near relatives in Florida. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Webster where she had taught Sunday School in the past. She also served as a scout volunteer. She served on the board of the Day County Museum for several years. Diane passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at Auburndale, Florida at the age of 85 years, 8 months and 25 days. She is survived by two children, Ronald (Sherri) Batie of Redding, California, and Joni Batie-McGrew (Bruce McGrew) of Lakeland, Florida; four granddaughters, Jasmine Hendershot of Redding, California, Shalyn (Chad) Fowler of Folsom, California, Caitlin McGrew of Gainesville, Florida, and Brenna McGrew of Lakeland, Florida; and one great granddaughter, Diana Fowler of Folsom, California. She is preceded in death by her nine siblings and one daughter, Vicky Batie.