Edgar Louis Dieterichs, 91, of Wichita Falls, passed away on Thursday, February 29, 2024 in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The family will receive friends at a visitation from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 7th at Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8th at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at 3:30 p.m. at St. Luke Lutheran Cemetery in Olney, Texas, under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home.

A son of the late Agnes (Bertram) and Maylon Dieterichs, Ed was born on July 31, 1932, in Mitchell County, Iowa. He was made a child of God through the waters of Holy Baptism on August 21, 1932, and confirmed in his baptismal faith on May 19, 1946.  Edgar graduated high school in Osage, Iowa, and then enlisted in the United States Air Force.

He met the love of his life, Lorita Annette Lauschke, of Olney, Texas, at Zion Lutheran Church while he was stationed at Carswell AFB and she worked in Fort Worth. They were married at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Olney, Texas, on August 3, 1957.

He served in Korea, Japan, Carswell AFB, Altus AFB, Ramey AFB Puerto Rico, Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, Lajes Field in the Azores, Ent AFB in Colorado Springs, followed by a year north of the Artic Circle at Indian Mountain Radar Site.  Returning to the lower 48, Edgar was stationed at Laughlin AFB Del Rio until his retirement in 1972.  Upon his retirement from the military, he and Lorita moved to her home town, Olney, Texas, to work and raise their family.  In 1989, he and Lorita followed their employer, AmWest, the successor to Olney Savings & Loan, to Bryan, Texas, and then Dallas. In 1999, they retired to Lakeside City.

He was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wichita Falls, for 25 years.  Ed was involved in many church activities over the years including Lutheran Braille workers.  Ed was instrumental in forming the Adopt-A-Highway group at Our Redeemer that cleans Highway 79 from Kemp to FM 1954.

Ed enjoyed gardening and working outside.  His favorite crops to grow were potatoes and okra.  His hobby of working outside turned into a retirement job as caretaker for the Lakeside City Park, a job he held until he was 85 years old!  A true negotiator, he once traded a 1966 Volkswagen Bug for a case of beer, convinced he gotten the better end of the deal.  Ed was a Dallas Cowboys fan and enjoyed watching FOX News for hours at a time!  Summed up by his granddaughter Mackenzie, "He loved hard, was witty, his family's biggest supporter, generous and selfless, and had the biggest servant heart."

Along with his parents, Ed was also preceded in death by his infant daughters Anne Agnes in 1963 and Jane Marie in 1968; his sister, Phyllis McComas, and her husband Fred; and sister-in-law Louanne Lauschke Grode.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lorita Dieterichs of Wichita Falls; daughter Laura Neal of Lakeside City; son Steven Dieterichs and wife Gina of Granbury, Texas; and his beloved grandchildren, Nathan Sean Taylor and wife Morgan of Grove City Ohio; Mackenzie Neal McElroy and husband Clayton of Olney, Texas, and granddaughter Claire K. Dieterichs of Granbury.  He also leaves four sisters-in-law, Carol Coates and husband Ray of Longview, TX; Pam Marten of Wichita Falls; Mary Heflin and husband Bud of Plano; and Ellen Fisher of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  Brother-in-law Tom Grode of Copley, Ohio and many nieces and nephews.

For those desiring, memorial contributions may be sent to the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 4605 Cypress Avenue, Wichita Falls, TX 76310.