Debra "Debbie" Herke

Debra Rose “Debbie” Herke, age 58, of Sauk Centre, passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, October 26th, 2022, at the CentraCare Hospital in Sauk Centre, Minnesota after 3 ½ years of fighting Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer.

A funeral service will be held at 11a.m. Tuesday, November 1st at the Grey Eagle United Methodist Church with Rev. Jacob Holck officiating. Interment will be at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls following the lunch.

Visitation will be held from 9 to 10:45a.m. at the Grey Eagle United Methodist Church.

Debra Rose Kortuem was born April 8, 1964, in Mankato Minnesota to Charles and Beverly (Wandersee) Kortuem.

She attended Hoover Elementary, Lincoln Jr. High and Mankato West High School. Debbie was active in sports, enjoyed horseback riding, motor cycling, dancing, playing with neighborhood friends, bicycling, water skiing, and alpine skiing. During her senior year she was an exchange student in Johannesburg South Africa.

She graduated from Mankato State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration on a ROTC scholarship. She married Larry Joel Herke December 28, 1985. She was an Army Ordnance Corp officer who was stationed at Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama and the 8th Maintenance Battalion in Hanau, Germany. Debbie frequently traveled around Europe until discharged in 1989.

She worked for the State of MN in unemployment Insurance, as a Library Technician and 18 years as a Disability Examiner for the State of Minnesota. With her family she lived several locations in Minnesota to include Rogers, Courtland, Hastings and Sauk Centre.

Debbie enjoyed camping and bike trips with her family. She was active in Boy Scouts of America including Den Leader and Scout Leader. Traveling with friends and family was one of her favorite things to do. She loved her pets, vegetable and flower gardens. She was very proud of her three grown sons and their extended families, especially her granddaughter, one year old Maisie.

Survived by her husband Larry J. Herke of Sauk Centre; sons, Jon (Meagan) Herke of Minneapolis, Joe (Laura Karels) Herke of Mankato, Justin (Anna) Herke of Sauk Centre and granddaughter Maisie Herke; parents, Charles “Chuck” and Beverly Kortuem of Sauk Centre; brother, Ed (Marnie) Kortuem of Mankato; and sister, Cindy (Steve) Romnes of Mankato.

Preceded in death by grandparents George & Rose (Mertensotto) Kortuem, George and Dorthea (Erlandson) Wandersee, infant granddaughter June (Karels) Herke, and nephew Nathan Williams.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society.