Special to The Mirror

I learned something the other day when Donna Allen of Diana called me to put an article in the Diana News. I was wondering what was going to happen to the rock house located on U.S. 259 that is being refurbished. This is the house that Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Rodgers lived in when I was growing up. Well, now I know.

The rock house was built in the late 1930s and into the early 1940s by Benny and Claudie Mae Rodgers. They built this house with their own hands. Benny’s family has been a part of the Diana United Fund from the beginning.

Mr. Rodgers’ daughter and son-in-law, Gorman “Red” and Wanda Coston, were instrumental in starting the Diana United Fund.

How ironic that this house, a big part of Diana’s history, will become home to the Diana United Fund.

The original founding members of the Diana United Fund in 1965 were Minerva Gentry, June Reagh, Nellie Plummer, Gorman “Red” and Wanda Coston, Opal Ford and Melissa Wallace.

The current Diana United Fund Board is Donna Allen, president, Pat Leftwich, treasurer, and Marie Stoker, secretary.

They had a mission to help those in need by providing food, clothing and financial assistance to all people in our community with funding supplied entirely from generous support and donations. With the help of the community it is still active today providing for those in need with food, clothing, Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets and other various financial assistance.

The Diana United Fund has been given a wonderful generous gift of the “The Rock House” to serve as the future home of the Diana United Fund.

We need your help Diana! Our “rock house” needs a lot of work. We want to make the “rock house” and the Diana United Fund stronger than ever. We cannot do it without your help. We need the entire community to get involved, whether it is donating money, time or other services in repairing this house.

The Diana United Fund is seeking donations from the community to preserve this home and make it work for you, the residents of Diana.

If you would like to donate your time or if you have a special service you can provide that would help in the rehabilitation of the house, please join our Diana United Fund today! We are looking for new members!

If you have further questions, we will be holding a meeting Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Diana Methodist Church at 6 p.m., or you can send an e-mail to dianaunitedfund@yahoo.com. Donations can be sent to Diana United Fund, P.O. Box 387, Diana, TX 75640.