Kermit Dietrich, age 92, of Carver County, Minnesota, formerly of Independence, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2022 following a brief illness. He was born in 1930 to Carl and Katherine in Humboldt, South Dakota.

Kermit was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Leona “Betty” Dietrich, parents Carl and Kathrine Dietrich and his brother, Ernest. He is survived by his three daughters and eight grandchildren and their families and fourteen great grandchildren.

Kermit and Betty had a dairy farm in Hennepin County, Minnesota and raised their family there. Kermit often reminisced about his years as an enlisted submariner in the Navy. He was one of the torpedo men on the S.S. Tilefish and served with the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force, out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He once participated in a secret (now declassified) mission in the Bering Strait. He was a wrestler and took second place in the 14th Naval District wrestling championships. He placed second in the state at 137 pounds at Mound High School as a state entrant and part of the 1947 state wrestling team and was inducted into the Mound Westonka Wrestling Hall of Fame on February 7, 2014. While farming, Kermit was a Wright-Hennepin volunteer electric director and was one of the founding members of the Crow River Bank of Delano. In recent years, Kermit was involved in numerous volunteer positions including teaching English as a second language, helping at the local Food Shelf and most recently assisted seniors with playing bingo at two nursing homes in Waconia. Kermit also enjoyed painting and writing stories about his earlier days and was published in anthologies.

Heartfelt thanks to the caring staff of Westview Acres of Waconia and Ridgeview Hospital.

Funeral Service on Saturday, January 7, 2023: Visitation 10:30 a.m. until funeral service at 12:00 noon at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church at 435 E. Bridge Ave. in Delano, Minnesota. Pastor Paul Marggraf officiating. Private interment at Lewis Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to donor’s choice.