Debra “Deb” Ellen Shirkey entered eternal life on Thursday, August 17, 2023. Her memorial service will be held at 10am on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff with Pastor Rick Reisig officiating. It is respectfully requested that in lieu of any flowers, memorials in Deb’s honor be made in care of her family to be designated at a later time. Online condolences may be made by viewing Deb’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com.
Deb was born in Scottsbluff on August 26, 1953, to Gerald Benson and Darla Flood. She graduated from Morrill High School in 1971. She married the love of her life and country dance partner, Bob Shirkey, on July 11, 1971. Born from this union were two daughters, Amy and Robin.
Deb was extremely successful throughout life, and her talents were many. Bob and Deb pioneered Bluffs Sanitary Supply in 1986 and poured their hard-working sweat and tears into it until retiring from it in 2006. Deb was an extremely accomplished seamstress and founded Bobbin Heads Embroidery in 1990. She was still operating this company at the time of her passing. Her hands were always moving, whether it was embroidering and knitting or cooking and cleaning – to painting crafts and handling any woodworking saw better than most men.
Deb lived comfortably and had everything she wanted, but she never lived outside of her means. You’d often catch Deb trying to stuff her massive wallet into the back pocket her daughters’ high school (size 3) Z-Cavaricci jeans from 1990. It was nothing for her to wear an article of clothing for three decades. She chopped her own firewood and would try to repair anything via YouTube before she’d pay to have it fixed. One independent lady she was!
Deb was genuine to a fault, a fluffy kitten (or lion) at heart, and yet she sugar-coated nothing. If you asked for her opinion, you’d better be prepared for her to tell it like it is. Everyone always knew where you stood with her, whether she liked you or she didn’t. It was the school of hard knocks, and yes, we were told many times how she had to walk to school in a blizzard, uphill both ways, wearing shoes too small, and without a coat… so suck it up. And we did!
She loved her family more than anything else in the world, but she had a life-long love affair with butterfingers, power naps, fried chicken, and Wheel of Fortune. And oh, let’s not forget the beverage that quenched her thirst, Miller Lite! The news reported this week that Miller Brewing Company stock price fell sharply on the news of Deb’s passing. Senior Miller executives have called an emergency meeting to brace for the impact of the anticipated drop in sales. She was always up for a fun time! If you ever visited her, you know that she liked the room hotter than the hinges of hell and the beer cold enough to be served on a stick.
Her spirit is carried on by her two daughters, Amy (Justin) Brown and Robin Ebbers, 7 grandchildren, three great grandchildren, two surviving siblings, and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and family too numerous to list but never forgotten. Deb was preceded in death by her husband Bob Shirkey, brother Jerry Benson, parents Gerald & Darla Benson and Bill & Bobbie Shirkey.