Deana Arleene Boedicker.... Age 83

On Tuesday, July 13, 2021, Deana Arleene (Birchard) Boedicker, Paola, Kansas, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away at North Point Nursing Home at the age of 83.

Deana was born in Osawatomie, Kansas, on March 14, 1938, to Willis Ward Birchard and Edyth Marie Horn Birchard.

Deana grew up in Osawatomie and attended First grade at St. Philip Neri Catholic School.  She then attended Osawatomie public schools and graduated in 1955.  She enjoyed Alumni events with her lifetime friends from the Class of 1955.

During her Senior year of High School, Deana started working part-time after school at the Osawatomie State Hospital in Dietary.  After graduating, she transferred to Nursing as a Psychiatric Aide.

In 1956, Deana married Melvin Baldwin, and they had two sons, Mark and Mike.  Their marriage ended in divorce in 1967.  During those 11 years, they lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and she worked at the Phoenix State Hospital as an Aide and was also employed at the Motorola Assembly Plant.  In 1967, she returned to Osawatomie and again worked at the Osawatomie State Hospital.

In 1969, Deana married Henry (Hank) Boedicker.  They raised Mark and Mike and also had two sons, Brian and Doug.  During this time, she worked as an Assembler at the King Radio Plant in Paola until the plant closed.  She also briefly worked at Medicalodge in Paola.  She retired from work in 1995 due to health issues.

Her family was the most important thing to Deana.  She loved spending time watching her grandchildren grow into young adults.  She also enjoyed playing bingo, going to the casino, making crafts, fishing, and traveling.  Hank and Deana traveled to both coasts and enjoyed spending time in Canada.  On their 30 ^th anniversary, they took a Caribbean Cruise.  Hank and Deana enjoyed living life together and were married for 52 years.

Deana was preceded in death by her parents, sister Wilma Johnson, sister Lela Brown, and son Michael Baldwin.

She is survived by her husband, Hank of the home, and her three sons, Mark Baldwin, Spring Hill, KS; daughter-in-law Traci Sturm-Baldwin, Olathe, KS; Brian and his wife Andria, Overland Park, KS; and Doug and his wife Serenity, Paola, KS.  She was blessed with four grandchildren; Max Baldwin, Garrett Baldwin, Blake Boedicker, and Lindsey Boedicker.   She is also survived by her brother, Willis (Bill) Birchard, Osawatomie, KS, and many nieces and nephews.

A Visitation will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 24, 2021, at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Osawatomie.  A Funeral Mass will follow.  Lunch will be provided.  Burial will be at Osawatomie Cemetery at a later date.

The family would like to THANK the staff at North Point Skilled Nursing in Paola for taking excellent loving care of Deana since January.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to Prairie Wind Hospice at 606 High Street, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006 or St. Philips Neri Catholic Church in Osawatomie in honor of Deana Boedicker.