Retiring trustee Ken Diedrick drew a standing ovation from his fellow LMRE members at the annual meeting July 19 in recognition of his 36 years of service to the cooperative. 
Board President John Eaton lauded Diedrick for his dedication and commitment. He noted that a member of the Diedrick family has served on the LMRE board for 72 of its 80-year history. His grandfather Carl served from 1944 to 1965 until his son  — Ken’s uncle — Fred Diedrick took over the District 3 seat. Ken Diedrick began his service in 1980, and for 28 of his 36 years, he was an officer, serving as secretary-treasurer, as vice president, and 10 years as president. 
He only missed one board meeting and never missed an annual meeting, even attending the 2015 annual meeting one day after being discharged from the hospital following removal of a brain tumor. 
Over 30 years, Eaton said, he and Diedrick were often mistaken for brothers at meetings. 
“Seriously, I don’t know of anyone that I would rather have been mistaken for as my brother,” Eaton said. “He has been my mentor, my colleague, my leader, and most of all, my friend. Thank you, Ken, from the bottom of our hearts.”
“I’d like to thank all of you for the support over the years,” Diedrick said. “I know I always looked forward coming to the annual meeting and meeting you. I’d like to thank the board for their cooperation and all of our employees; they’ve done a great job. It’s been a pleasure working with them.” 
The crowd of 300 members and guests rose and gave Diedrick a standing ovation.