Diana Louise Rankin Gilbert, age 89, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at home surrounded by family in Bailey, Colorado.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 21st from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Hass Funeral Home in Clayton.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the Clayton Methodist Church, in Clayton, New Mexico with Pastor Terrell Jones, pastor of the Trinity Fellowship Church in Clayton, officiating. Burial will follow in the Grenville Cemetery by Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton, New Mexico. A meal and reception will follow at the Grenville Community Building.

Funeral services will be live streamed on Joel Gilberts Facebook page.

Diana Gilbert was born on December 14, 1935, in Ashland, Kansas to Marion Rankin and Helen (Grimes) Rankin. She attended elementary school in Sitka, Kansas and graduated high school from Ashland, Kansas. She enjoyed cheerleading and being a member of the dance team. After high school, she attended college at K-State. She loved horses and also loved to ice skate.

On September 9, 1956, in Ashland, Kansas Diana married Don Gilbert, her childhood friend. He preceded her in death on December 8, 2009. They moved to the Colorado Springs area where they lived in Woodland Park with all four of their children being born there. On December 14, 1967, they moved their family to Grenville. She was a homemaker and involved in the 4H Club where she taught kids sewing, canning and homemaking. She was an intricate part of the ranch life, whether on horseback, fixing fences, windmills and doing whatever was needed to keep the ranch going.  Diana was also a member of the women's extension club. With the last of her kids almost out of high school, she went to work at Lariat Realty in Clayton. She continued to serve her community by going to work as the secretary at the Union County Extension Office for NMSU, where she retired after 27 years.  She cherished spending time with her family whether it was at the ranch or with any of her children at their homes. She loved to go check cattle with her son, Joel, and to just be on her ranch.

In closing, with all the miles and trials and all you have experienced, you said that what you "feel" is "your kids and… the saddle".  'nough said!

In addition to her husband and parents, Diana was preceded in death by a daughter, Becky Gilbert Callis on June 24, 2007; her three brothers – Jack Rankin, Clint Rankin and Roger Rankin and a sister-in-law, Marilyn Gilbert Murphy.

SURVIVORS:

1 SON: Joel Gilbert and his wife, Rhonda of Grenville, New Mexico.

1 SON-IN-LAW: Wendell Callis of Sedan, New Mexico.

2 DAUGHTERS: Shareen Boone and her husband, Bryan of Clovis, New Mexico and Janell Suazo and her husband, Leo of Bailey, Colorado.

7 GRANDCHILDREN: Shawn Callis and his wife, Brittney and their daughter, Wylder Beck Callis of Kerrick, Texas; KC Abshere of Waxahachie, Texas; Jenna Jones and her husband, Sutton and their son, Conway James Jones of Wortham, Texas; John Gilbert and his wife, Ryanne and expectant baby girl of Grenville, New Mexico; Jason Gilbert and his wife, Rayelle of Grenville, New Mexico; Quaid Boone of Clovis, New Mexico and his girlfriend, Jessica Jones; and Shabry Seaton and her husband, Kohler of Grenville, New Mexico.

1 SISTER-IN-LAW: Joan Banks of South Dakota.

And several nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Diana Gilbert's memory to the Mount Evans Home Health Care and Hospice, 3081 Bergen Peak Drive, Evergreen, Colorado 80439 or to the Grenville Fire and EMS, 38 5th Street, Grenville, New Mexico 88424.