Macon/Lake Gaston- Betty Jane Baker Dieckmann, 93, of Macon, formerly of Waterloo, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 30, 2019 at The Brian Center Health & Rehabilitation in Goldsboro, NC following a brief illness. Betty was born March 28, 1926 in Waterloo, Iowa to the late Lee F. Baker and Dora Mabel Wilharm Baker. She attended West Waterloo High School and graduated in 1944. She worked at Jens Olesen Construction for eleven years as a bookkeeper. She married Merwin Richard Dieckmann on September 9, 1950 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterloo. Baptized in 1929 and confirmed in 1939, she was most recently a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ridgeway. Throughout her life she served as Vacation Bible School teacher, Sunday School teacher, 'Bethel Series' teacher and sang in the choir. Her love of cooking produced two (2) cookbooks of family recipes, and she enjoyed sharing those goodies with family and friends. Always a generous spirit, she delivered Meals on Wheels and drove friends to doctor appointments and chemo-therapy treatments. Always our cheerleader, her greatest pride and joy was her family, and she never tired of bragging about her children, grandchildren or great grandchildren. The Reverend Corey Brooks will conduct funeral services at 3:00 pm on Sunday, January 12th at St. Paul's Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. She is survived by her beloved husband of 69 years, Merwin, of the home; son, Mark, of Warner Robins, GA; three daughters, Ann Forman of Prospect Heights, IL; Jane (Johnny) Hanrahan of Kinston, NC; and, Nancy Ramsey of Greenback, TN. Betty is also survived by her brother, Richard (Jan) Baker of N. Canton, OH; grandchildren: Morgan Lee Lovejoy and Joshua Alan Ramsey of Greenback, TN; Suzanne Jane Lee Forman of Prospect Heights, IL and, three great-grandchildren that she loved dearly. Betty is also survived by her dear in-laws, Beverly (Truman) Kaiser; Janet Nieman and Mary Ann (Jerry) Obenour; and many nieces and nephews who will cherish her memory. She was preceded in death by: her parents, a brother, Robert Lee Baker; a sister, Patty Jean Schwestka, and her son David Lee Dieckmann. Flowers are welcome and memorials may be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 114 Poplar Mount Road, Norlina, NC 27563, or a charity of your choice. Arrangements are by Blaylock Funeral Home in Warrenton