Pearl Dielman, possibly Idaho’s oldest person, dies at 109

Jun. 28—A lady who cherished root beer, excessive heels, having her hair and nails executed and who could have been the oldest dwelling particular person in Idaho, died Saturday on the age of 109.

Tasha Carper, of Lewiston, Dielman’s granddaughter, mentioned Dielman, who was dwelling at Royal Plaza, examined optimistic for COVID-19 on June 13. Carper mentioned Dielman apparently recovered and was launched from quarantine Friday however earlier than she and her sister, Debbie McLean, might get permission to go to her, Dielman died.

“She’s been doing OK however the winter was laborious on her, simply being cooped up,” Carper mentioned. Residents on the care middle have been on lockdown on and off just lately due to the coronavirus, Carper mentioned, and when Dielman examined optimistic, she was put right into a room all by herself, which she didn’t like.

Carper mentioned her sister took Dielman out to get her nails executed the day earlier than she examined optimistic. At the moment, Dielman gave the impression to be in good spirits and quick-witted as ever. However her urge for food had been petering out for awhile.

“We would all the time get her a smoothie and we had observed within the final couple of months, she’d nonetheless drink it however not like she did earlier than,” Carper mentioned.

Final 12 months at Dielman’s 109th celebration, the household took her out to dinner at Ernie’s Steakhouse the place, Carper recalled, Dielman drank two root beers.

“She wolfed these down earlier than the meal acquired there,” Carper mentioned. Dielman additionally had potato prime rib soup that her different granddaughter mushed up so she might eat it.

“She’s on pureed meals,” Carper mentioned. “She’s so fearful about choking however she had ice cream — she devoured that down and she or he mentioned, ‘That positive was candy.’ “

Final 12 months, the Lewiston Tribune tried to confirm whether or not Dielman truly was the oldest particular person in Idaho by contacting a number of state and federal companies. None of them — together with the governor’s workplace; Idaho Fee on Ageing; Idaho Labor Division; Social Safety Administration; census information and different web sites — might present that info.

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Dielman was born to Walter and Edna Brown in Stevensville, Mont., in 1912. Dielman was one among 13 youngsters and she or he and her twin brother, Earl, have been third place within the lineup.

The household lived on a farm and Dielman attended college by way of the eighth grade, and in 1931 she married Van Bailey.

The couple lived on a wheat farm in Montana, the place Dielman cooked for the employed palms. That they had one daughter, Vanita, earlier than they divorced. Throughout World Warfare II, Dielman labored as a crane operator in Portland and later as a nurse at a veterans house in Stevensville.

In 1949, she married Byron Dielman they usually spent summers mining for gold in Arizona. After her husband died in 1982, Dielman moved to Lewiston to be nearer to her daughter and grandchildren.

Her granddaughters remembered that Dielman had a feisty temperament and was all the time lively. She wore excessive heels all over the place, even to scrub the home, the granddaughters mentioned, they usually bear in mind strolling to the A&B grocery retailer with their grandmother and she or he wore excessive heels all the best way.

Carper mentioned Dielman “had a tough time giving up her excessive heels, that was slightly little bit of a combat. Sort of like when she had to surrender her license and she or he could not drive her Cadillac anymore.”

Her daughter, Vanita, died on the age of 83 in 2014, and one sister, Doris, 94, resides in Anaconda, Mont. She had 4 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 15 great-great grandchildren.

Carper talked about that somebody at Royal Plaza instructed her that Dielman nonetheless yodeled every now and then.

McLean was instructed that on Friday, Dielman was out of quarantine and “was glad and bubbly.” On Saturday morning, the Royal Plaza workers acquired her up for breakfast and laid her again down after the meal.

“After they went again in to verify on her,” Carper mentioned, “she had handed.

“We’re undecided if it was COVID or simply her age, however I am positive COVID did not assist,” Carper mentioned. “I hoped we might make it to 110, however she had different plans.”

Hedberg could also be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.