Deborah A. Quiring

Deborah A. Quiring, 68, of Devils Lake, ND, died on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at her home, in the loving care of her family and Altru Hospice. A memorial service for Deborah will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Devils Lake with Reverend Michael Suezlzle officiating. A visitation will be held at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on Friday, July 17^th from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a time of prayer and sharing at 7:00 p.m.  

Please remember your and others safety and health when attending the services. Please practice social distancing and wearing masks as necessary.  Condolences may be sent to www.gilbertsonfuneralhome.com or Quiring Family, Gilbertson Funeral Home P.O. Box 632  Devils Lake, ND 58301.

 It is more blessed to give than it is to receive (Acts 20:35) was the basis for Deb’s motto: Live Well; and she helped many, many people to live that way.

Deborah Ann Garske was born at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake, North Dakota on September 27, 1951 to Elmer and Janet (Ponto) Garske. She was raised and educated in Devils Lake.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Lutheran Church.  She graduated from Devils Lake Central High School with the Class of 1969, having been in Honor Society, Pep Club, Pom Pom squad and senior cheerleader.  During her high school years, she worked at Mercy Hospital and The Ranch.  She graduated as a Registered Nurse from Trinity Hospital School of Nursing in April of 1972.  Deb married Gary Quiring of Munich, ND on March 9, 1973 and they had three sons Jamie, Jason and Jeffrey.  She worked as a nurse for many years, putting in 18 years with the Lake Region District Health Unit before retiring in 2016.  After a short retirement, she went back to work as a PRN for the North Dakota School for the Deaf for two years.  Deb held state and local offices as a member of the North Dakota Nurses Association since 1972.  She wrote annual National Nurses Week articles for the local paper, recorded Nightingale Tributes for deceased nurses at annual conventions, and received the North Dakota Centennial Award in 2012.  Her greatest passion was Relay for Life, and beginning in 1999 she collected t-shirts for teams, team captains, committee members, care givers and survivors.  These items were made into an amazing quilt that will be donated back to Relay for Life to preserve the great memories of the successes of the efforts of Relay for Life volunteers.

Deb loved life. She was active in many charitable organizations.  Deb worked VFW sponsored blood drives, and will be remembered for the cakes she brought to VFW Auxiliary suppers, for serving Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for the Kiwanis, for all of her service to the community as a Chautauqua Board member, Lake Area Concert Association, Lake Region District Health Unit Outreach and more.  Deb participated in the Hope Notes Pen Pal Program at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for several years.  Quite deservedly, she received the Unsung Hero Award in 2005.  She performed in the Fort Totten Little Theater productions of Kismet and The Wizard of Oz for FTLT’s 50^th year celebration.  She enjoyed bowling, reading, walking, her church activities at St. Peter Lutheran Church, bible studies, LWML, and special times with friends and family.  The 50-year reunion of the Devils Lake High School class of 1969 was special for Deb, and she worked hard to make it special for others as well.  When diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, Deb sent Relay for Life hats and a letter to Alex Trebek of Jeopardy, who had made public his own cancer fight.  She was so pleased to get a personal letter back from him, and that they loved the hats.

Deb loved when her sons and grandchildren came, they were the highlights of her life and she taught them lasting values. We cannot imagine life without Deb but will hold her in our hearts and memories forever.

Deb is survived by her loving family; sons Jamie (Jeri) Quiring of Elk Point, SD, Jason (Amie Powers) of Mesa, AZ, Jeffrey (Melissa Woodrow) of Minot, ND; granddaughters Nadia and Madelyn (Jamie and Jeri), Ava (Jeffrey and Melissa); former husband Gary Quiring; sisters Pamela (Ben) Rivera, Monument, CO, Denise (Robert) Blegen, Berthoud, CO; brothers Charles (Vicky) Garske, Marietta, GA and David Garske, Minnewaukan, ND; foreign exchange sister Pat (Ben) Vilandre, Devils Lake, and sisters-in-law Patty Smiley, Pam (Mark) Vance, Edie (Byron) Rollins as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and a few remaining aunts and uncles.

She was preceded in death by her parents Elmer and Janet Garske; infant grandson Jayden Azander (Jeffrey) and infant granddaughter Harley Isabelle LeRose (Jeffrey); and her father-in-law and mother-in-law Ed and Ruby Quiring.