Deb (Bowers) Detjens

Debra Luann Detjens, age 58, of Blair, Neb., formerly of West Union, died January 20, 2015 at Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Scribner, Nebraska, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. 

A gathering of family and friends was held Saturday January 24, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Campbell Aman Funeral Home in Blair. 

Debra Luann Bowers was born in West Union, Iowa to Marilyn (Stendel) and Darryl Bowers.  

She attended North High School in West Union.

Deb was united in marriage in 1976 to George Drilling, and together they had their only child, a daughter, Cari, born in 1977.

After separating from George, Deb and Cari moved to Blair, Nebraska in 1981 where Deb met her current husband, Russell Detjens.

Deb and Russ were married in 1995, where they lived on a farm a few miles outside of Blair.

Deb drove a school bus for the Blair Community Schools for 16 years.  After those years, she began driving a yuke for Fort Calhoun Stone. 

Deb loved to garden, and she loved to do most any type of crafts.

Deb is survived by her husband Russell Detjens of Blair, Neb., her daughter Cari (Drew) Sprague of Papillion, Neb., three granddaughters, Mallori, Lyndsi, and Jenna, and three stepgrandsons, Alex, Andrew, and Zane, her mother, Marilyn Masters of Blair, her father, Darryl Bowers of McIntire, Iowa; siblings Jodi Workman and Juli Short, both of Blair, Bob Cortez of Omaha, and Robin Otte of Blair, stepchildren Kim(Joel) Swanson and Rick (Sarah) Detjens of Blair. 

She is also survived by her sisters Jeanne, Paula, Sandy, Tina, Tammy and Robin of Iowa, Arizona and Indiana. 

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Carl and Agnes Stendel; her uncle Robert Stendel, great aunt Hazel Tope, all of West Union, Iowa; and grandparents Archie and Emily Bowers of Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association.