Debra Kay Flaugh

Debra Kay Flaugh, age 60, of Hartington, Nebraska died on March 8, 2021 at Abrazo Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona due to post-COVID pulmonary complications. Funeral Services will be on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Hartington Public School Gymnasium in Hartington, NE. Burial will be in the Hartington City Cemetery. Visitation will be on Saturday from 12:00 – 2:00 pm at the Hartington Public School Gymnasium. Facemasks and social distancing will be required at the funeral and visitation. To watch a live stream of the service, please visit www.facebook.com/WintzRay/live Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington, NE. Pallbearers will be Duane Grotz, Rod Snow, Donnie Klinetobe, Darwin Kirschenman, Jim Kleeb, and Paul Veldkamp. Honorary Pallbearers will be Gary Hauck, Mike Hauck, Earl Johnson, Scott Kinkaid, Kevin Kirschenman, Matt Johnson, Emmett Johnson, Keith Stubbe. Deb was born on November 18th, 1960 in Sacramento, California to her adoptive mother Adeline Rhodes of Lincoln, Nebraska. Deb grew up with her sister Trudy and enjoyed mischievous activities with their various family dogs, a monkey, and their prized ‘Radio Flyer’ red wagon. At the age of 12, Deb made the choice to be faithful to God and kept this lifelong vow to her last day. Deb attended Lincoln High School and continued her education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Deb began her career at Lincoln General Hospital laboratory and soon became Director of the lab. She loved travelling with many of her church friends and planning get-togethers while attending college. On July 20th, 1991, Deb married Rodney Flaugh and had two daughters - Rachel (1995) and Hannah (1996) of whom she was very proud. They hosted Sunday morning church services and Wednesday bible studies in their home for several years. Deb also attended annual church conventions where she loved to sing hymns, listen to the gospel, and make breakfast pastries to feed the masses. Deb was graced with many talents including baking and cooking delicious foods, growing luscious plants in her yard and home, crafting, scrapbooking, playing musical instruments, planning vacations, and cleaning every speck of dust from the farm house. Deb worked in Hartington at the Avera Health Clinic laboratory and also enjoyed substitute teaching at several schools in northeast Nebraska. The lesson plans were always completed when Deb subbed and she had creative methods for keeping law and order in the classroom that students found entertaining. During the last five and a half years of her life, Deb battled a rare form of sinus cancer and received treatment in Arizona. She gained encouragement from her daughters, husband, and many of her wonderful friends. During this time she maintained her love of teaching, traveling, and crafting as well as continued her hard work of keeping the Flaugh Family Farm up and running smoothly. She also found peace in reading books, gardening, searching for rare antiques, snuggling with her dachshund Katie, and chatting on the phone with her daughters and friends. Deb is survived by her husband Rodney (married for 30 years in July) of rural Hartington; two daughters Rachel of Boston, Massachusetts and Hannah of Lincoln, Nebraska; sister Trudy Zepf of Lincoln, Nebraska; niece Sara Zepf and nephews Justin (Shawnie) Zepf and John Zepf of Lincoln, Nebraska. Deb was preceded in death by her mother, Adeline Rhoads (January 2009), mother-in-law Ruth Flaugh (November 2020), and father-in-law Virgil Flaugh (January 2021) of Hartington, Nebraska.