Elaine Debates

Elk Point, SD-Thelma “Elaine” DeBates, age 89, formerly of Garretson, passed away at the Prairie Estates Care Center on July 27, 2008. Visitation begins Tuesday, July 29, 2008 with the family present from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Minnehaha Funeral Home in Garretson. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson with burial in the church cemetery.

Thelma Elaine DeBates was born on February 11, 1919, in Kenneth, Minnesota, to Theodore and Ida (Mork) Remme. As a young girl she lived in the Luverne, MN, area where she attended school and was confirmed in the Norwegian Lutheran Church on June 11, 1933. She moved with her family to Sherman, SD, and she graduated from Garretson High School in 1937; she was married to Earl DeBates, Sr. on February 10, 1941, in Luverne. They made their home in Garretson, SD, where she was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for 59 years. Earl, Sr. passed away on January 16, 1967. She lived in Sioux Falls before moving in February of 2004 to Elk Point where she resided at Wel-Life Assisted Living Center until a recent fall, she was recuperating at Prairie Estates Care Center in Elk Point where she passed away.

Elaine was proud of her Norwegian heritage and enjoyed dancing, playing Bingo, watching game shows, keeping a tidy home and spending time with her children and grandchildren who fondly called her “Grandma Girl.” She was very proud of all of her grandchildren’s accomplishments and never stopped worrying about each of them.

Elaine is lovingly remembered by sons: Earl, Jr. (Marvis) DeBates, Menagha, MN; Gary (Kay) DeBates, Westbrook, MN; daughter: Debra (Dennis) Limoges, Elk Point, SD; seven grandchildren: Todd (Deb) DeBates, Terri (Craig) Fahrendorf, TJ (Mindy) DeBates, Laurie (Joe) Landwehr, Jeffrey (Amanda) DeBates, Stephanie (Chad) Schmitz, and Meghan (Caleb) McNeil. Nine great-grandchildren: Samantha and Micah DeBates, Jack, Claire, Elle and Nicholas Fahrendorf; Nathan and Alyssa Landwehr and Keegan Nelson; one sister Emma Thorson, Edgerton, MN and one sister-in-law Marie DeBates, Bend, OR. She was preceded in death by her husband, infant twin daughters, granddaughter, Linda DeBates, her parents and brothers: Harold and Delmar “Pete” Remme; and sisters Ila Stoakes, Lillian Johannsen, Evelyn Risch, and Arlene Brown.