Sioux Falls husband, wife born, died on the same day
By Melanie Brandert
Matthew Gruchow


A Sioux Falls couple died together Saturday, side by side, of separate illnesses.

Diana Kraft and her husband, Kent, married for about 43 years, were both born on the same day: Sept. 2, 1941. Diana Kraft had Lou Gehrig's disease. Kent had a brief illness.

Police spokesman Loren McManus said the Krafts' deaths were not suspicious, and Kent Kraft had a heart condition.

It was a unique situation, reminiscent of the movie, "The Notebook," he said.

"It's kind of like that. They've been together forever, and she was very, very sick, and she died," he said. "Whatever effect that had on him, that was it."

Joel Vipond, director at Miller Funeral Home, said in his 30 years of funeral service, he has never seen a couple that were born and died on the same day.

"It is about as unusual as it gets," he said.

"It's tough enough to lose one (parent), but it's doubly devastating to lose them both."

The couple, 66, met in Mitchell while Kent Kraft was a Dakota Wesleyan University student and Diana Schroder was a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital, according to the obituary.

The Krafts have two children, Deborah of Sioux Falls and Calvin of Rock Rapids, Iowa, and a grandson, Andrew, of Sioux Falls, among other survivors.

A representative for the family said they would not comment.


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