Debbie was born in the flood of July, 1951 in Lincoln, Kansas and was taken by boat across the river to the hospital. She lived in Lincoln until her father Donald accepted a position to manage the Gambles Hardware store in Harper, KS. There she attended Elementary school. When her father accepted the position of purchasing agent for Harper Trucks, a manufacturer of mobile hand trucks and dolleys, which relocated to Wichita, Debbie attended Truesdale Junior High in the 8th grade. Her musical interest brought her to the Truesdale concert band where she played in the percussion section, one of only two girls. That is where she met Bart. They also went to the same church and high school. Debbie was confirmed in the Lutheran Church where part of the confirmation ritual was to choose a “confirmation verse” that was to be yours to live into. Debbie chose Isaiah 41:10. That verse served her well into the final days here on earth. She walked 25 miles with her church youth group in the first “Hike for the Hungry”, a national hunger awareness project that raised money to help fight world hunger in the late 60’s and spent a short time in the Kansas “Up with People” music group.
In the summer before her senior year she tried out for Drum Major of the South High School Fighting Colonels Marching Band. She didn’t make it, some tall skinny 130 pound junior got the position instead [oh that skinny guy was Bart Wilson]. Somehow, one might think, if you can’t be the drum major, at least you might think about dating the drum major, who is also in your church youth group, and was also kind of a funny guy. Well, regardless of her reason, they found each other and started dating in 1968.
Debbie graduated from South in 1969 and went away to college, all the way to Hutchinson Community College. Being a college girl now and Bart just a senior in high school they decided it was time to date other people, not a plan Bart was happy with. Thankfully, and to the hurt feelings of Bart’s homecoming date, Debbie changed her mind and decided that maybe it was OK to stay with this guy she kinda developed a fondness for. That’s right, Bart dumped a sweet girl at the last minute to take the love of his life, this college freshman to the South High homecoming dance. He was on top of the world and she was, as always, the most beautiful girl in the world.
Well, their relationship continued to develop through college, Debbie coming back to Wichita and getting her degree in English Education from WSU. They were married August 13, 1972 and moved to Kansas State University where Bart continued to pursue his college degree in Architecture. While at K-State, Debbie taught High School English at Wamego High School. She spent many weekends and evenings on speech and debate tournaments and directing school plays, while Bart spent his time in Manhattan. During this period Debbie and Bart were youth sponsors for their small Wamego Lutheran church.
The next part of their lives was complicated but ended up with Bart Managing a new IGA Grocery store in Clay Center, Kansas and Debbie leaving teaching to work at the Clay Center Library as children’s Librarian. Adrianne came into our lives in 1979 and was born a 35 minute drive from Clay Center in Manhattan, KS. In 1981 Miranda joined us and was born in Clay Center. Debbie had always had an interest in all things creative and that pulled her back into college where she took classes towards an art degree at K-State. A few difficult years and a business failure brought the Wilson’s back home to Wichita where Debbie completed her degree in Art at WSU. She also went to work at the City Library downtown in talking books, a service for the visually impaired.*** She spent the remainder of her working career at the library eventually moving back into the children’s department where she developed children’s programming. Debbie’s passion for art brought her into the art community through Gallery XII, an artist coop, and then her own studio in Artist’s at Old Town where she painted until she could no longer find the energy going through Cancer treatment.
Debbie also had a passion for the under-privileged and spent several years volunteering at Someplace Else, an HIV home sponsored by the New Jerusalem Mission here in Wichita.
She worked full time, raised two beautiful daughters, found time for her art and still found a way to serve others in need.
She spent a great deal of time encouraging our girls to discover their passions and got them involved in AYSO soccer, gymnastics, tried piano lessons but succeeded in helping them find something they enjoyed in music. Adrianne played the clarinet and Miranda the trumpet in middle school and sadly the high school band uniforms were not the fashion statement either wanted to make so they turned to vocal music, where they also excelled. Debbie was an incredible mom, dad was the pushover and Debbie often played the heavy when it came to disciplining the girls. She did so with patience and love.
Money was always tight in the family but Debbie was a shopper, looking everywhere to find just the right thing at the best price. She sewed a lot of the girls clothes when they were younger and loved garage sales, where she found lots of treasures. They bought their first house just outside the college hill area and Deb loved renovating and fixing it up. She had that creative touch and everything she did was wonderful. She started a “Craft boutique and art show” at Bethany Lutheran church when the girls were young and it continues yearly to this day. She created a couple of special banners for weddings and a large painting for Valentines day at College Hill UMC. She also painted a large mural in the youth Center in honor of one of their devoted youth sponsors who spent years inspiring youth. Debbie went on a couple of youth mission trips as a sponsor and always found a way to do little things behind the scenes to help.
She organized two weddings in two years and devoted the past 5 years to her grandsons, who she adored. Every shopping trip would always find boys toys or clothes as part of her purchases. Trips to be with them were proceeded with the gathering of supplies and projects to do with her boys. Even through all of her cancer treatments, the anticipation of time with her girls and grandsons kept her going.
In her final years, she never let go of the foundation of her life, based in her understanding of the God of the universe who loves us and comes to be with us in a personal relationship that leads us on an amazing journey into an eternity with Him.
*** Life Happens but sometimes there are choices.
During Debbie’s time in talking books, there was a young high school student who volunteered for the summer at the library. She was assigned to Deb’s department. Debbie always found ways to make everyone around her feel welcome and comfortable, but there was something special about the bright eyed girl full of energy, smart and always full of smiles. For some reason, they just hit it off and their relationship grew into one of those rare “mother/daughter” friendships. We call her our chosen, though more aptly put, God chose us to be part of her life and she has blessed us ever since. We are blessed to be called mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa by her children. Kim-Luong Dao Nguyen is a part of our family and our 4 additional grandchildren, Vicki, Tohni, Michelle and Phillip bring us great joy. Luong is a part of Debbie’s Story.
written with love by her other half, Bart
In the summer before her senior year she tried out for Drum Major of the South High School Fighting Colonels Marching Band. She didn’t make it, some tall skinny 130 pound junior got the position instead [oh that skinny guy was Bart Wilson]. Somehow, one might think, if you can’t be the drum major, at least you might think about dating the drum major, who is also in your church youth group, and was also kind of a funny guy. Well, regardless of her reason, they found each other and started dating in 1968.
Debbie graduated from South in 1969 and went away to college, all the way to Hutchinson Community College. Being a college girl now and Bart just a senior in high school they decided it was time to date other people, not a plan Bart was happy with. Thankfully, and to the hurt feelings of Bart’s homecoming date, Debbie changed her mind and decided that maybe it was OK to stay with this guy she kinda developed a fondness for. That’s right, Bart dumped a sweet girl at the last minute to take the love of his life, this college freshman to the South High homecoming dance. He was on top of the world and she was, as always, the most beautiful girl in the world.
Well, their relationship continued to develop through college, Debbie coming back to Wichita and getting her degree in English Education from WSU. They were married August 13, 1972 and moved to Kansas State University where Bart continued to pursue his college degree in Architecture. While at K-State, Debbie taught High School English at Wamego High School. She spent many weekends and evenings on speech and debate tournaments and directing school plays, while Bart spent his time in Manhattan. During this period Debbie and Bart were youth sponsors for their small Wamego Lutheran church.
The next part of their lives was complicated but ended up with Bart Managing a new IGA Grocery store in Clay Center, Kansas and Debbie leaving teaching to work at the Clay Center Library as children’s Librarian. Adrianne came into our lives in 1979 and was born a 35 minute drive from Clay Center in Manhattan, KS. In 1981 Miranda joined us and was born in Clay Center. Debbie had always had an interest in all things creative and that pulled her back into college where she took classes towards an art degree at K-State. A few difficult years and a business failure brought the Wilson’s back home to Wichita where Debbie completed her degree in Art at WSU. She also went to work at the City Library downtown in talking books, a service for the visually impaired.*** She spent the remainder of her working career at the library eventually moving back into the children’s department where she developed children’s programming. Debbie’s passion for art brought her into the art community through Gallery XII, an artist coop, and then her own studio in Artist’s at Old Town where she painted until she could no longer find the energy going through Cancer treatment.
Debbie also had a passion for the under-privileged and spent several years volunteering at Someplace Else, an HIV home sponsored by the New Jerusalem Mission here in Wichita.
She worked full time, raised two beautiful daughters, found time for her art and still found a way to serve others in need.
She spent a great deal of time encouraging our girls to discover their passions and got them involved in AYSO soccer, gymnastics, tried piano lessons but succeeded in helping them find something they enjoyed in music. Adrianne played the clarinet and Miranda the trumpet in middle school and sadly the high school band uniforms were not the fashion statement either wanted to make so they turned to vocal music, where they also excelled. Debbie was an incredible mom, dad was the pushover and Debbie often played the heavy when it came to disciplining the girls. She did so with patience and love.
Money was always tight in the family but Debbie was a shopper, looking everywhere to find just the right thing at the best price. She sewed a lot of the girls clothes when they were younger and loved garage sales, where she found lots of treasures. They bought their first house just outside the college hill area and Deb loved renovating and fixing it up. She had that creative touch and everything she did was wonderful. She started a “Craft boutique and art show” at Bethany Lutheran church when the girls were young and it continues yearly to this day. She created a couple of special banners for weddings and a large painting for Valentines day at College Hill UMC. She also painted a large mural in the youth Center in honor of one of their devoted youth sponsors who spent years inspiring youth. Debbie went on a couple of youth mission trips as a sponsor and always found a way to do little things behind the scenes to help.
She organized two weddings in two years and devoted the past 5 years to her grandsons, who she adored. Every shopping trip would always find boys toys or clothes as part of her purchases. Trips to be with them were proceeded with the gathering of supplies and projects to do with her boys. Even through all of her cancer treatments, the anticipation of time with her girls and grandsons kept her going.
In her final years, she never let go of the foundation of her life, based in her understanding of the God of the universe who loves us and comes to be with us in a personal relationship that leads us on an amazing journey into an eternity with Him.
*** Life Happens but sometimes there are choices.
During Debbie’s time in talking books, there was a young high school student who volunteered for the summer at the library. She was assigned to Deb’s department. Debbie always found ways to make everyone around her feel welcome and comfortable, but there was something special about the bright eyed girl full of energy, smart and always full of smiles. For some reason, they just hit it off and their relationship grew into one of those rare “mother/daughter” friendships. We call her our chosen, though more aptly put, God chose us to be part of her life and she has blessed us ever since. We are blessed to be called mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa by her children. Kim-Luong Dao Nguyen is a part of our family and our 4 additional grandchildren, Vicki, Tohni, Michelle and Phillip bring us great joy. Luong is a part of Debbie’s Story.
written with love by her other half, Bart
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