Deborah Schmitcke

Deborah “Debbie” Ann (Johs) Schmitcke, 72, of Hazelton, passed away on June 1, 2025, at Sanford Medical Center with her family by her side after a short battle with breast cancer.

Visitation will be held from 4:30–6:00 PM, with a prayer service beginning at 6:00 PM, on Friday, June 6, 2025, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Hazelton, ND. 

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bismarck, ND. Debbie’s spiritual journey began at St. Mary’s, where she received the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Matrimony. In keeping with her wishes, her funeral Mass will also be held there. Interment will follow at St. Paul’s Catholic Cemetery in Hazelton.

Debbie was born on March 6, 1953, in Bismarck, ND, to Agnes (Jangula) and Frank Johs. The youngest of six children, she attended St. Mary’s through eighth grade and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971. She often reminisced about her fun and lively childhood, sharing fond stories of her “crazy” days around Bismarck.

In 1971, Debbie met the love of her life, Wayne, while he was working on a car. The two were inseparable from the start and married on August 8, 1975. They made their home in Hazelton, where Debbie embraced the life of a devoted farm wife—even spending her honeymoon on a combine. Her life was complete with the births of her two sons: Michael in 1978 and Kelly in 1981. She was a proud and loving “boy mom” who cherished every moment spent with her family.

Throughout her life, Debbie worked many jobs. She earned her cosmetology license from Jack’s Hair Stylists College in 1973 and worked at Regis Salon and JCPenney Salon. She later held positions at Rosenbluth International, Main Street Market, the Hazelton Credit Union, McDonald’s Remote Ordering, and her favorite role as high school secretary at the Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock School. She loved chatting with students and staff and took great pride in being part of the school community.

Debbie’s greatest joy came from being with her family. Whether delivering home-cooked meals to the fields during harvest or sitting in the shop visiting while her boys worked, she was happiest when surrounded by her loved ones.

Debbie’s heart grew with the arrival of her grandchildren. She was blessed with six: Taylor, Logan, Blake, Alisha, Johnathan, and Nicholas. Becoming “Granny” was one of her greatest joys. She showered each grandchild with love, attention, and plenty of spoiling. Her custom license plate, “6LVBUGS,” was a tribute to her cherished “lovebugs,” and she never missed a chance to tell them, “I love you forever and always.”

Debbie treasured every holiday, especially Christmas. She loved creating magical memories for her grandchildren and kept the spirit of the season alive year after year. She was an avid collector of the Barbie Holiday Doll, purchasing one nearly every year for herself and her granddaughters.

A night owl and an avid reader, Debbie could spend hours immersed in a book. She loved playing cards and games with friends and family, especially in her later years when friends would visit just to chat and enjoy a game together.

Debbie was also a frequent visitor to Starbucks and had a particular fondness for Frappuccino's and Refreshers. If she was in Bismarck, you could bet she was making a Starbucks stop. She enjoyed getting her nails done, dining out, shopping for gifts for her children and grandchildren, and in recent years, ordering from QVC from her favorite rocking chair. She especially loved the color purple and anything with a butterfly on it.

Debbie is survived by her sons, Michael (Sarah) Schmitcke and Kelly (Jillian) Schmitcke; her grandchildren: Taylor, Logan, Blake, Alisha, Johnathan, and Nicholas; her sisters, Georgie (Johs) Bauer and Evelyn (Johs) Fischer; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Wayne (2024); her parents, Agnes (Jangula) and Frank Johs, her siblings: Viola (Johs) Tetzloff, Michael Johs, and a stillborn brother, Francis Johs, brother-in laws Peter Bauer, Gerald Fischer, and Ruben Tetzloff.