Diana Lynn (Bender) Mermis, 61, of Russell died Friday morning, November 21, 2008 at her residence after a courageous battle with cancer.  Diana was born July 25, 1947 in Pratt, Kansas the daughter of Phillip and Nadine (Romine) Bender.  Her family moved around while she was growing up.  They moved to Russell when she was in high school.  She graduated from Russell High School and attended two years at Ft. Hays State University.

She was united in marriage to Stephen Mermis on November 23, 1973 at St. Marys Catholic Church in Russell.  This union was blessed with a daughter, Audrey.

Diana worked for the Home State Bank as a teller from 1974 to 1980.  Then she worked for the Russell County Sheriff’s department, from 1980 to 1992, as a dispatcher and later on as the executive personal assistant to the Sheriff.  She took off a few years from working to be at home with her daughter.  Then in 2000 she started working for Russell’s Inn as a desk clerk until retiring in 2006 due to health reasons.

Diana was a devoted wife and mother who put taking care of her family first.  She enjoyed spending her time reading sci fi books and doing oil and acrylic paintings.

Surviving family include her husband of 34 years, Stephen; her daughter, Audrey Mermis of Salina; mother, Nadine Bender of Wichita, KS; brother, Curtis Bender of Kansas City, Kansas; and three sisters, Phyllis Lyons of Houston, TX, Kathy Nersesian of Russell and Debbie Lewis of Wichita.  She was preceded in death by her father and one grandson, Cameron Alan.