Gloria Dirk

Gloria J. Dirk, 77, passed away March 30, 2024, at Augusta Place Senior Living in Bismarck.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 AM on Friday, April 12, 2024, at Church of Corpus Christi in Bismarck with Monsignor Patrick Schumacher as celebrant.  Burial will take place at 2 PM on Friday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5-6:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Weigel Funeral Home in Mandan with a Women of the Moose Ritual at 6:30 PM and a Parish Vigil at 7 PM.

Gloria was born (the 1947 Mandan New Years Baby!) on January 2, 1947, in Mandan, to Anton & Elizabeth (Hoffman) Wetsch.  She was raised and educated in St. Anthony and Mandan.   Gloria graduated from Mandan High School and later earned her LPN certification from St. Joseph’s Nursing School and worked at a St. Alexius Hospital.  

On July 5, 1969, she married Nicholas Dirk in Mandan.  They had two daughters, Theresa and Tanya.   Gloria enjoyed traveling with her family and especially enjoyed camping and fishing every summer along with playing card games.  She was an avid reader and enjoyed putting together puzzles.  Gloria had a green thumb and would quite frequently rescue her daughter Theresa’s plants.  A very special time for Gloria was when she and her husband, Nick, dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus during Christmas and would visit nursing homes, schools, and doing special photo sessions.  Gloria was very proud of her grandsons and would often be heard “bragging” them up.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Theresa & Larry Schumacher and Tanya & Michael Masseth; grandsons, Mason Masseth (Brooke Hickerson), Brockston, Bodyn, & Kale Masseth, and Nicholas & Joseph Schumacher; one great-grandson, Otto Masseth; sisters, Charlotte Job, Donna Boehm, Debbie Reed, and Mary (Kevin) Junker; brothers, Larry Wetsch and Clyde (Linda) Wetsch; brother-in-law, Leslie Dirk (Lynette Lennick); sisters-in-law, Bonnie Miller, Sandy Dirk, Phyllis Dirk, Andreen O’Neil, Annette (Pat) Yauney, and Debbie (Paul) Martin; and many nieces and nephews.  

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Nick, in 2004; her parents, Anton and Elizabeth Wetsch; in-laws, Rasmus & Emma Dirk; brothers-in-law, John Bliele, Roger Dirk, Maynard Dirk, Jim Dirk, Ken Miller, Dwayne Job, Jim Boehm, and Tom Reed; sisters-in-law, Diane Dirk and Lucretia Dirk; and one nephew, Kelly Dirk.