Diana Thoughts

Death Will Not Have the Final Say

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 NIV

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Diana, because of her faith in Jesus Christ, believed this.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, she had a strong faith. Yes, she had some rough times, and there were times that were frustrating. But, overwhelmingly, she had a faith that kept her at peace no matter what was coming.

This is a faith that she wanted EVERYONE she knew to have.

She wrote letters to her step children, brother, and other close relatives that explained her disease. However, they ALL contained the Good News of her faith in Jesus Christ that would overpower death and bring God’s New Creation. She explained in every letter that her life was full of bad mistakes, decisions, and choices. BUT, the best decision and choice she made was the choice to accept Jesus Christ as her savior, to receive his forgiveness from her sin, and to be born again. This gave her hope of eternal life, resurrection, and paradise.

Diana’s Obituary...

If you’re reading this, then I’ve gone home to be with Jesus. Yay me!!!!

I was born April 15, 1963 in Westminster California. When I was eighteen months old my parents moved to Fallon, Nevada. It was a great place to be a kid.

When I was really young like 4 or 5 my brother John would get to go fishing down at the canal. Of course I couldn’t go. So, he would catch fish, and then put them in the cow’s water tank. I would go out there and go fishing. If I caught anything I fed them to my cat Tom. Poor fish.

My best friends, as a child growing up, were Dawn Taylen, and Jennifer Hardy. Boy we had great times, and spent every free moment riding our horses through the desert, playing in our tree fort, and ice skating on the irrigation ditches. Those were the best times.

I was in 4-H, mostly with my horses, but I also showed lambs. My 4-H leader Kim Corbitt is like a sister to me. We’re still friends after all these years.

I graduated high school from Churchill County High School in 1981.

In 1988 my father Jack Vaage died in a horrible farming accident. I was devastated. I moved home to be with my mom, but eventually I moved back to Reno NV.

I lived in Schurz NV, for 13 years, and made a lot of good friends there.

About mid 90’s Debbie Cushing, and I, got to go to some adult horse camps, one was in Sonora California

and the other was in Oregon House California. It was the best time. Three days of camping with our horses and learning about cross country jumping. Then we competed at the Fossils Over Fences Event.

That was a blast.

Walker River Paiute Tribe trained, and hired me, to be the fitness trainer for the diabetes prevention program. Tammi Beardsley helped me a lot, teaching me how to teach, and encouraging me. I worked as a paraprofessional for the Schurz Elementary School. That was an adventure. I also worked in schools at Silver Springs and Fernley as a jack of all trades: Bus aide, Kitchen help, Classroom aide. Classroom aide was a hard job. Kids are tough these days. I put in 12 years total.

April 6, 2005 I made the most important decision of my life. I gave it to Jesus Christ, and was baptized at Central Christian Church, in Henderson, Nevada.

In 2007 my mom Mooneen Vaage died, which was another hard blow in life. This left me and my brother John Vaage. I still have my aunt Joanne Fellows, my uncle Ron Fellows, and cousin Mike Fellows.

In December of 2009 I ran the California International Marathon, in Sacramento California. Yep, that’s a full 26.2 miles. It took me 5 hours and 10 minutes. I finished 20 minutes faster than I had anticipated. I was pretty happy with myself.

May 2018 I packed up my truck and moved to Polson, Montana. I always dreamed of living somewhere beautiful and green. Thank you Debbie Walker for encouraging me to move. God blessed me abundantly here. I met Pastor Matthew Connolly first thing. He’s been one of my best friends since I got here. The people of Montana are great, they believe in helping their neighbors, and I made a lot of good friends. A bonus was Melissa and Robert Burns moved here in December 2018, so I had some homies here. Melissa has been a good friend, and helped me a lot.

I started a cleaning business, and once I got started I couldn’t believe all the work I had. It’s been great.

But all good things must come to and end, and in November of 2022 I was diagnosed with stage 4 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, some kind of aggressive cancer on my liver and it had spread to my lungs. I did some chemo and some immunotherapy, but it didn’t help. So I just lived out my days, one at a time, and thanked God for each day. I had real peace for the first time in my life, knowing I would be home with Jesus soon.

I had three stepchildren in my lifetime, Crystal Gilbert, Madison and Gabriel Richards. If I could do anything over, in life, it would be to do a better job as a stepparent. But we do the best we can, with what we have, I tried.

So until we meet again, my friends, this isn’t goodbye, just a see ya later. I’m not having any kind of service or anything. My ashes will be placed at the Churchill County Cemetery with my mom and dad.

You can stop by if you want, but I won’t be there. I’ll be worshipping God in Paradise.

I do want to thank all of my friends for their prayers, phone calls, visits, gifts, and financial support.

Kathy Coakley came for a weeklong visit and I ended up in the hospital the day she arrived. Thanks for sticking with me.

This is an assurance we could have too!

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God loves each and everyone of us that he sent his son to live and die for us, so that by believing in Him we could have everlasting life!

Revelation 21:1–5 NIV

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

As we wait for the promise of the New Heaven and New Earth we have hope that we will see Diana, and all those who have gone before us who have had faith in Christ. We will be reunited when God calls us to his throne, or when Christ returns to make all things new!