Deborah Sue (Rourke) Lindsay, 16 Sep 1949 - 23 Sep 2024

LINDSAY, ROURKE, MUMM, PEARSON, DOSCHADIS

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 10/24/2024 at 15:36:01

Deborah Sue Lindsay (Rourke), age 75, of Colfax, Iowa, passed away on September 23, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. Debbie’s family will greet friends for a visitation on Thursday, September 26, 2024, from 3:00 – 6:00 PM at Coburn Funeral Home in Prairie City, Iowa. If you wish to send a memorial in lieu of flowers, please make the check out to her husband, Darrell Lindsay, and a donation will be made in her name later. If you are unable to attend visitation and wish to send a card, please address it to, “Attn: Debbie Lindsay, Coburn Funeral Home, 24 W Howard St, Colfax, Iowa.” Online condolences may be left at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com

The daughter of Donna (Mumm) Rourke and James Rourke, Debbie was born on September 16, 1949, in Iowa City, Iowa. Debbie’s world was FAMILY is first. She was a wife, mother, grandma, sister, daughter, aunt, coaches’ wife and Athletic director wife.

As the backbone of the Lindsay home, a delicious supper was always on the table, laundry was done, kids bathed and in bed on time and everyone knew they were loved. She supported Darrell in his coaching and Athletic Directors years and was Jeff and Jeni’s biggest fan. Regardless of the outcome of the games, she always found the positive in the situation. Her nephews waited with anticipation every year to see what birthday card their Aunt Debbie would send them. It was never boring.

Growing up in the ‘Burg, she was a gym rat. Always getting out of class to go to the gym when she could, to become a great trampolinist. Her siblings and her would go swimming at Sports Hill Country Club and ice skating at the west end pond. Her pet was a horse named Buster.

Gwobbs was the name her grandkids knew her by, and her nickname of Rose came along later. “Oh Rose” would become a common phrase! Their house was always fun- a bucket of balls and a bat, swimming pools-sometimes multiple in a year, hide and seek, and WWE. She had a broken finger and toe at one point and possibly a broken rib!

Thanksgiving was always a feast with a grandkid helping with homemade stuffing and fighting over the wishbone. She took great pride in selecting each of their stockings for Christmas.

Her fondest family memory was playing the card game “31” for 65 Christmas Eves. She was given a seat at the table at age 10. Her grandkids sat on her lap and “helped” her play until they were old enough to have their own seat.

With the gift to gab, Deb graduated from beauty school and began cutting hair. She continued to cut Darrell’s hair every month for the past 55 years. After a little while, she decided this was not for her and became a waitress. The patrons loved to gab with her at Pat and Mel’s, Kopper Kettle, Poppy’s, Cardinal Cafe, Radisson Inn and ending her career at Goldies. For a number of years, she was a teachers aid at Colfax school and Colfax Mingo Schools and a security officer at Prairie Meadows.

Her long natural fingernails were something she was always so proud of. She would save her tip money to have them manicured and freshly painted fancy colors. In her later years, she loved spending time in her Great-Gwobbs She Shed, playing the slots, making people laugh at her Debbie-isms and was always driving her family crazy for sending her food back to the kitchen at a restaurant because it was not HOT enough. Oh Rose!!

Debbie never knew a stranger. Attending all of Darrell, Jeff, Jeni, and her grandchildren, Trey, Kaleigh, Cade, Tiernan, and Tori’s events. She always found a friend in the crowd. Her lawn chair was always empty because she was off making friends, laughing it up, and enjoying life.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband of 55 years; Darrell Lindsay, her children; Jeff (Christy) Lindsay and Jeni Pearson, her grandchildren; Trey (Emily Fudge) Lindsay, Cade Lindsay, Tori Lindsay, Kaleigh Pearson, and Tiernan Pearson, a great granddaughter; Wren Lindsay, her siblings; Dan (Pat) Rourke, Dede (Mark) Doschadis, and Don Rourke, as well as 3 nephews, 3 great nephews, and 4 great nieces.

Preceding Debbie in death were her parents; James and Donna Rourke, her son-in-law; Mike Pearson, and Grandma Chris.

Published in The Journal Tribune on October 4, 2024.