Debbie Jean Ladygo of Springfield, IL, Madison, OH, and Ocala, FL died after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Born in Wichita, KS on March 16th, 1958 to Imogene (Jeanie) and George Kamees, she spent her early and teen years in Springfield, IL. She and her family enjoyed giving visitors tours of the Lincoln Home, birthplace, and capital city. She graduated from Springfield High School in 1976 and then attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. While in college she worked in the Preacher Boys office for Dr. Charles Rupp. She graduated in 1980 with a degree in Elementary Education, and a minor in English. Often if she had a pen in hand she would make marks and corrections on church bulletins, letters, and newspapers in her possession.
While in college she met the love of her life Bob and they were married on August 9th, 1980. The Lord blessed them with two children, Rachel in 1984 and Mark in 1988. She deeply loved her children and instilled in them many of her good quality traits. She had a quiet spirit, a deep faith in God, and a generous heart.
Shortly after college she and her husband were called to minister at Bible Baptist Church in Madison, OH. While at the church she served as an Awana leader, Sunday School teacher, and youth leader. The church put her on staff as the Church Secretary in 1983, a position she would hold for 28 years. The majority of her earnings were used to send her children to a Christian school and college.
She enjoyed gardening and raising various flowers and plants. Her homes in Ohio and Florida were filled with assorted species of flowers and plants. Her most recent success was a lemon tree that she started growing in Ocala. Debbie also had numerous bird feeders and enjoyed watching hummingbirds, cardinals, and many other birds. She also enjoyed candles, and the house was filled with scents of different fragrances. Debbie enjoyed crossword puzzles and her two nightly programs, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Before couponing became a fad she was clipping coupons. One of her greatest joys was to go to the store and get $55 worth of supplies for $1.79. She didn’t understand why everyone didn’t clip coupons. Suffice it to say Bob will never run out of toothpaste. While she did not participate in sports she enjoyed watching her children participate in soccer, softball, and basketball. She would travel hundreds of miles to see them play. She was also a loyal supporter of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. If the Cardinals were on she was either listening on the radio or watching them on TV or the computer.
In 2012 she convinced Bob that it was time to leave the frozen tundra of Ohio go to somewhere warm. They decided to move to Ocala, FL where she enjoyed the last 5 years of her life. While the cancer diagnosis was not what she anticipated or hoped for, her faith remained firm till the end. Her Bible is marked with hundreds of verses that she memorized and believed. She read through the Bible on a yearly basis, often marking various themes. For example, one year she marked all of the promises of God.
She is survived by her husband Bob; her two children, Rachel of Ft. Myers, FL and Mark of Columbia, MD; her mother Jeanie Kamees of Auburn, IL; her sister Vicki (David) Woehr of Marietta, SC; her brother George (Janna) Kamees of Auburn, IL; and 9 nephews and 3 nieces. Her father George Kamees Sr. predeceased her.
Calling hours will be held Saturday July 22nd from 5-8 PM at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home at 5740 South Pine Ave, Ocala, FL. A celebration of Life service will be held Sunday July 23rd at 2:00 PM at the Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Patton of Berean Baptist Church in Ocala officiating.
Because of Debbie’s belief in the importance of Christian Education the family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to either: Gunnery Road Christian Academy, 1880 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres, FL 33971; or Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC.
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