Deborrah Elizabeth “Debbie” Salmons
August 11th, 1953 - August 8th, 2024
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Debbie's Obituary
Deborrah Elizabeth (Brown, Higgs) Salmons went home to the Lord Jesus on August 8, 2024, following a stroke on August 4th. Debbie was born August 11, 1953, in Blytheville, Arkansas, the first child of James Ralph Brown and Betty Jo (Blair) Brown. It was realized many years later that her birth certificate listed August 8th as the date of her birth. So, from that point on we all celebrated both days.
She was tender-hearted, kind, generous, forgiving, welcoming, strong, faithful, a fighter, fiercely loyal, musically gifted, joyful, and beautiful. Debbie was everybody’s mom. All of us who were mothered and cared for by her were blessed and better because of it. She made the best desserts. She loved to laugh and spend time with family. She enjoyed dancing with her grandkids and playing her keyboard. She sang like an angel and wrote fantastic songs.
Her faith in the Lord Jesus sustained her in all of life’s trials; there were many: being a single mom, battling cancer and depression, helping to raise some of her grandchildren. She was one of the strongest people her family has ever known. She was big sister and best friend to three siblings: Stanley, Melissa, and Angela. She was mom and champion of four children: Shanna, Jennifer, Anthony, and Blair. She was loving wife of Bill for 27 years. They faced life’s joys, struggles, and sorrows together and loved each other well. She was Grandma/Maw Maw to 10 treasured grandchildren: Elijah, Aubry, Paris, Devin, Joseph, Madisyn, Noah, Taylor, Jullien, and Elizabeth.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents Alton and Virginia Brown and Bryant and Keturah Blair, her mother Betty Brown, and her in-laws William and Maelene Salmons.
She is survived by her dad James Ralph Brown (91), her husband Bill Salmons, her siblings Stanley (Janice) Brown, Melissa (Gary) Montgomery, and Angela (Ray) DeVries; her children Shanna Higgs (Rich Graff), Jennifer (Jason) Cooley, Anthony (April) Higgs, and Blair Higgs; her grandchildren Elijah Hernandez, Aubry Hazlegrove, Paris Higgs, Devin Maness, Joseph Maggert, Madisyn Williams, Noah Bier, Taylor Higdon, Jullien Higgs, and Elizabeth Higgs; nieces and nephews Clinton (Jami) Brown, Stephanie (Dwight) Sheltrown, Kevin Montgomery, Brian (Erika) Montgomery, April (Elli) Peterson, Michelle (Brandon) Hover, and many grand nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.
A memorial will be held on Sunday, August 11th at the Dowagiac Church of Christ, 58273 M-51, Dowagiac at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions to help the family with the final expenses may be given to Bill Salmons.
She was tender-hearted, kind, generous, forgiving, welcoming, strong, faithful, a fighter, fiercely loyal, musically gifted, joyful, and beautiful. Debbie was everybody’s mom. All of us who were mothered and cared for by her were blessed and better because of it. She made the best desserts. She loved to laugh and spend time with family. She enjoyed dancing with her grandkids and playing her keyboard. She sang like an angel and wrote fantastic songs.
Her faith in the Lord Jesus sustained her in all of life’s trials; there were many: being a single mom, battling cancer and depression, helping to raise some of her grandchildren. She was one of the strongest people her family has ever known. She was big sister and best friend to three siblings: Stanley, Melissa, and Angela. She was mom and champion of four children: Shanna, Jennifer, Anthony, and Blair. She was loving wife of Bill for 27 years. They faced life’s joys, struggles, and sorrows together and loved each other well. She was Grandma/Maw Maw to 10 treasured grandchildren: Elijah, Aubry, Paris, Devin, Joseph, Madisyn, Noah, Taylor, Jullien, and Elizabeth.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents Alton and Virginia Brown and Bryant and Keturah Blair, her mother Betty Brown, and her in-laws William and Maelene Salmons.
She is survived by her dad James Ralph Brown (91), her husband Bill Salmons, her siblings Stanley (Janice) Brown, Melissa (Gary) Montgomery, and Angela (Ray) DeVries; her children Shanna Higgs (Rich Graff), Jennifer (Jason) Cooley, Anthony (April) Higgs, and Blair Higgs; her grandchildren Elijah Hernandez, Aubry Hazlegrove, Paris Higgs, Devin Maness, Joseph Maggert, Madisyn Williams, Noah Bier, Taylor Higdon, Jullien Higgs, and Elizabeth Higgs; nieces and nephews Clinton (Jami) Brown, Stephanie (Dwight) Sheltrown, Kevin Montgomery, Brian (Erika) Montgomery, April (Elli) Peterson, Michelle (Brandon) Hover, and many grand nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.
A memorial will be held on Sunday, August 11th at the Dowagiac Church of Christ, 58273 M-51, Dowagiac at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions to help the family with the final expenses may be given to Bill Salmons.
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