Darrell Royce Dieckhoff, 81, of rural Alma, MO, died Saturday, December 21, 2024, at Lee’s Summit Medical Center in Lee’s Summit.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 27, 2024, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Concordia with Pastor Bernard Ross officiating. Burial with military rites will follow at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Alma. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church or Trinity Lutheran School and an online guestbook is available at www.campbell-lewis.com.
Born in Higginsville, MO, on March 21, 1943, Darrell was the son of Herman E. Dieckhoff and Melba Roehrs Dieckhoff. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alma, and graduated from Alma High School in 1961. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church his entire life. Darrell lived in the home on the family farm, outside of Alma, his entire life. Following high school graduation, Darrell attended the University of Missouri intermittently until he was drafted into the United States Army. After basic and advanced infantry training, he was sent to serve in the Vietnam War for one year. After his honorable discharge from the army, Darrell worked in the road/sewer construction industry and later for the Lafayette County Road and Bridge Department, retiring in 2016. Darrell was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping his entire life. Darrell owned many different types of hunting dogs throughout his life (many of which met their demise on Hwy. 23). Darrell was known in the Alma area for being the guy to call if you needed to get rid of a pesky raccoon, ground hog, skunk, or any other unwelcome animal. He knew how to trap just about any animal.
Darrell is survived by his three brothers, Don Dieckhoff of Flippin, AR, Dale Dieckhoff (Julie) of Concordia and Dennis Dieckhoff (Diana) of Grand Pass, MO; nephews and a niece, Michael Dieckhoff (Nikki) of Willis, TX, David Dieckhoff (Christina) of Pittsburg, PA, Adam Dieckhoff (Christina) of Mountain Home, AR, Drew Dieckhoff (Maggie) of Shawnee, KS and Kerby McKnight (Kory) of Concordia, MO; as well as great nephews and niece; and many other relatives and friends. Darrell was never failing in sending birthday cards, with money enclosed, to his family members every year. He will be missed by many.
Darrell was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Paulette Dieckhoff.