Deborah Lee Pharr age 61 of Sacred Heart, formerly of Belview and Buckeye, AZ, passed away Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at Parkview Home after a battle with breast cancer.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart.
Visitation is one hour prior to services. Interment will be at a later date. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Deborah Lee Pharr was born March 13, 1952 in Fort Campbell, KY to Marvin and Florence (Luepke) Schmidt. She was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Echo and confirmed in Monticello. Deborah attended school in Clearwater, St. Cloud, Belview, and Springfield. She graduated from Springfield High School in 1970. Deborah attended Union Hospital School of Nursing, graduated in 1971, and worked in various hospitals before moving to Tucson, AZ in 1973. On January 20, 1973 she was united in marriage to Roy Pharr in Buckeye, AZ. In 1976 she moved back to Minnesota and started working at Parkview Nursing Home. Deborah was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, where she served as Secretary, a Belview ambulance member, and civil defense director. In 1997 she moved back to Buckeye where she worked at Estrella Care and Rehab until 2005 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was one month shy of being in remission before being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, then a few months later with breast cancer. Deborah moved to Sacred Heart in 2012. She loved her cats, dogs, and grandkids. Deborah also enjoyed puzzle books, reading, gardening, geocaching, cooking, and collecting cookbooks.
Deborah is survived by her husband Roy Pharr of Sacred Heart; children Jeremy (Angela) Pharr of Sacred Heart and Tammy Pharr (Steve Gutierrez) of Waddell, AZ; grandchildren Mikayla and Hannah Pharr; mother Florence Anderson of Belview; brothers Harley and Chuck Schmidt of Belview, sisters Kathy (Joe) Kirk of Sacred Heart and Jacky Schmidt of Belview; sister-in-law Debbie Schmidt of Redwood Falls; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father Marvin and brothers Rick, Ken, and John (in infancy).