Evelyn Marie DeBey

Evelyn Marie DeBey of Phillipsburg, Kansas, age 71, went to be with the Lord on December 6th, 2020, at Smith County Memorial Hospital.

She was born on November 10, 1949 in Eugene, Oregon to Herbert and Geraldine Knapp. Along with her sisters, the family lived in Oregon, Alaska and California. Evelyn graduated from Bell Gardens High School in 1968 and attended California Polytechnic University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in Preschool Education. In 1972 she met Orville T. (Tom) DeBey while serving and attending church services at the Beacon Inn Servicemen’s Center in Long Beach California. They were married on February 21, 1975. In December of 1981 they welcomed their daughter, Alisha. They lived in Texas for 30 years before moving to Phillipsburg.

Evelyn was a faithful servant to the Lord. She worked many years as a preschool teacher until her retirement in 2006. She also served her church in many different aspects including Sunday School teacher, Mission Friends teacher, Vacation Bible School teacher, and Vacation Bible school director. Evelyn also homeschooled her daughter from preschool through high school. 

She is survived by her husband, Orville Thomas DeBey of Phillipsburg; her daughter Alisha (David) Childs of Overland Park; her sisters, Wanda Miller of King Salmon, AK. and Ruth Merriman of Rohnert Park, Calif.; nieces Melissa (George) of King Salmon, AK. and Angela (Nathan) McQuown of Hemit, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Linda Mai of Great Bend; niece Audrey (Troy) Siebert of Levant; nephews Matt Mai, Great Bend and Kent Mai of Goessel; and great-nieces and nephew, Karolina, Dakota, and Colt Siebert. 

Services were held at Olliff-Boeve Funeral Home, Phillipsburg, on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Central Community Church of Smith Center or Phillips County Senior Solutions and may be sent in care of the funeral home at 1115 Second Street, Phillipsburg, KS 67661.