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Debra (Debbie) Jean Shank passed away August 24, 2024, after a brief stay at Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington after battling liver disease for several years. She was born March 24, 1955, as the fifth daughter out of six to Lawrence and Esther (Malhberg) Harwig.

Debbie attended schools in Cheyenne Wells, and moved to Denver after graduating from high school. She married Richard Shank August 9, 1980, whom she met at a “get together,” and the rest was history. They made their home in Cheyenne Wells. Debbie started working at Cheyenne County Abstract Company and continued working there for 42 years.

Debbie liked to read in her spare time, enjoyed helping Richard in the yard, enjoyed baking especially at Christmas time, and playing Mahjong tiles. She was a member of ESA, and was instrumental in securing new Christmas lights for the town. She was also a member of Sacred Heart Altar Society, and served as president of both organizations.

Debbie was the type of person who was a friend to anyone that she met, though sometimes it took her a little while to warm up to them. She was always in charge of the Halloween window decorating at the office as long as we could find the Snoopy decorations to hang up, and for Christmas, it was always an adventure getting the fireplace to light up and the presents all arranged. She also realized the importance of Duct Tape: it can hold glass in place on large windows; that it was okay for you to chew on pencils as a way to make sure that no one was going to borrow them; and she made sure there was always a stockpile of the good real wood pencils available. Debbie enjoyed the simple things: a good patty melt, a diet Pepsi, apples with peanut butter, going out for supper, a quick gambling trip to Cripple Creek, supervising the planting of trees, and just quiet time with Sophie their cat.

Debbie was definitely a creature of habit. If you beat her out of the office to take the mail, she would give you “the look.” Lunch was at noon, and Thursdays were bierock day. She loved Fall and seeing the leaves back east turning colors. She even took on learning a second language, albeit limited, it still counted, and she didn’t even need Rosetta Stone.

Debbie was preceded in death by her mother and father; in-laws, Joseph and Rose; older sisters, Marilyn and Geraldine; and brothers-in-law, Ron Bergkessel, Roger Miller, and Robert Shank.

Debbie is survived by her husband, Richard; brother-in-law, Joseph (Lorraine) Shank, Jr. of Ovid; sisters-in-laws, Jane Robinson of Sterling, and Kathy (Mark) Guilloz of Portales, New Mexico; sisters, Barbara (Charles) Silliman of Denver, Mary Jane Miller of Lakewood, and Karolyn (Steve) Bertling of Denton, Maryland; numerous nieces and nephews; her beloved cat, Sophie; as well as numerous friends.

Funeral Mass was celebrated August 29, 2024, at the Sacred Heart Church in Cheyenne Wells.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Eastern Plains Animal Welfare Alliance (EPAWA) of Burlington in care of Eastern Colorado Bank.

Arrangement were under the direction of Brown Funeral Home.