Agnes Jane Dietrich--also known as Aggie to her Burfiend family; Grandma Dietrich to her loving granddaughters; Mama D or Ms. Agnes to her neighbors, close friends, and Clemson Pi Kappa Alpha brothers; Mom to Ross and Max; and "my darling Agnes" to her husband Frank--peacefully passed away on Thursday, January 19, 2023 in Fairfax, VA, at 95. Surrounded by family both virtually and physically in her final moment, Agnes touched so many of our lives in the best of ways.  We send our love to you in heaven: "Olive x infinity".

" Ms. Agnes J. Dietrich will be buried with her husband COL Frank L. Dietrich (US Army retired) in Arlington National Cemetery commencing Friday June 9th 12:30 at "old post chapel" on Fort Myer, Virginia.

Fort Myer access via

Base Access Link: https://pass.aie.army.mil/jbmhh .

Agnes Dietrich lives in memory through her loving family and cherished friends.  She was predeceased by husband Colonel Frank L. Dietrich (US Army retired), son Ross Carter Dietrich, brother Pete Burfiend, and sister Rebecca Kraus.  She is survived by her son Ross's widow, Terri Dietrich, of Hardeeville, SC; son Max and wife Vivian Dietrich of Leesburg, VA; her brother George and wife Sue Burfiend of Truth or Consequences, NM; her brother Dan and wife Barbara Burfiend of Walholla, SC; as well as her five granddaughters, Bessie and husband J. Alan Goggins of Bend, OR; Nena and husband Tony Moradi of Kansas City, KS; Leslie and husband Eric Huenke of Ridgeland, SC; April Dietrich of Washington, D.C.; and Lauren Dietrich, a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.  She was proud of them all and had such a knack for making every family member feel special.

Agnes was the oldest of five born to Howard and Orpha Burfiend on May 23, 1927, in Traverse City, MI. She spent her childhood on the shores of Lake Michigan at her family's farm, which is now the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In childhood, Agnes attended a one-room schoolhouse in Port Oneida. As a studious young adult, she put herself through college, graduating with a biology degree in 1948 from the University of Michigan. While working as a medical technician at a hospital in Traverse City, Agnes first met the love of her life, then Captain Frank L. Dietrich, a valorous soldier who would serve as a paratrooper in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Throughout her marriage to Frank, Agnes proved to be the epitome of a military wife and mother on so many adventures. Whether traveling alone with two boisterous toddler sons from the United States to Thailand or creating an elegant dinner for more than 40 guests, Agnes embraced every moment with an awe-inspiring balance of poise, levity, and zeal. Sitting in her blue rocking chair in her comforting kitchen in Clemson, SC, Agnes would regale family stories of adventure to future generations of Dietrichs. She believed that family history stays alive through storytelling, and she instilled this love in those she held dear. Ask any Dietrich about their favorite story from Grandma and you're likely to hear half a dozen comical anecdotes. Agnes lived a big life and she shared her memories with a humor and enthusiasm we all adored.

What rivaled Agnes' storytelling were her supreme skills in cooking and baking. Her magic ingredients were always care and love, whether a sandwich for the Pikas that held summer jobs at the Dietrich residence in Clemson or rouladen for a festive family meal. From snickerdoodles to ginger molasses to peanut butter, every family member had a favorite cookie, and when they visited, Agnes had a fresh batch cooling on the counter that never lasted long. She was regionally famous for her homemade macaroni and cheese, which consisted of tri-color rotini, bechamel, and sharp cheddar cheese. Her lasagna, bran muffins, French apple pie, and empanadas were some of many dishes frequently requested by family and friends. What we would give to taste another slice of her homemade bread with freshly jarred peach jam; not surprisingly, you could taste her care and love in every bite.

Just as special, Agnes also knew how to create friendships and family bonds that lasted a lifetime or more. She wrote the best Christmas cards around and her ability to maintain pen pal correspondence with far-flung friends was unrivaled. No matter where she visited with Frank or with other family later in life, or within her congregation at Pendleton Presbyterian Church, she knew old friends and made new ones. For her eightieth birthday, we had to cap the guest list at 100 people, and more were still wanting to wish her well. When able to, she'd check in on her friends every week, bringing homemade gifts of sweets and books she'd recently read and now recommended. If she heard that a congregation member or distant relative was ill, she'd go out of her way to find out their favorite foods, making them and sending them along with a handwritten note. Her thoughtfulness for those in her circle knew no bounds.

Goodness, we'll miss you, Mom, Mama D, Aggie, Grandma Dietrich; we'll think of you every day in the small moments of joy when we're baking delicious treats, playing cards with a glass (or two) of white wine, selecting a book (or three) from the bookstore, and sharing humorous stories of past and present. Those are the moments when we know you're smiling next to us and holding our hands from heaven.  God bless you--Olive x infinity.

In Honor & Memory - Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear