Thief River Falls, Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — Debra Brothers, 66, of Thief River Falls, died Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.
She died at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, North Dakota.
Her full obituary and service updates are posted by Johnson Funeral Service.
Service details
Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Open Arms Christian Fellowship in Thief River Falls.
The church is located at 401 Saint Paul Avenue South.
Pastor Darrel Lindensmith will lead the service.
A visitation is planned from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at the church.
A second visitation will be held one hour before the funeral.
Life and work
Brothers was born May 30, 1959, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Her parents were Ronald and Suzanne Meekma.
The family moved to Waukegan, Illinois, when she was an infant.
They lived there until 1970.
They then moved to Newfolden, Minnesota, for a rural life.
She attended Thief River Falls Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School for grades five through eight.
She later studied at Maplewood Academy in Hutchinson, Minnesota.
She graduated in 1978.
Her family moved to Thief River Falls in 1980.
She started working for Dr. Jerome Bray soon after.
The job began part-time.
It later became full-time.
She later worked in billing at Dakota Clinic.
That clinic later became Northwest Medical Clinic.
Family and community
She met Theodore Brothers during that time.
They kept in touch by letters and messages.
They married Sept. 8, 1996, on Camano Island, Washington.
They lived in Everett, Washington, after the wedding.
She took part in church work and home life.
In 2016, the couple moved back to Thief River Falls.
They returned so she could care for her mother.
Friends say she loved cooking, sewing, and crocheting.
She also liked trying new recipes.
At Open Arms Christian Fellowship, she helped with the CHIP program and music events.
Family members said her smile and steady help were well known.
Survivors
She is survived by her husband, Theodore Brothers, of Thief River Falls.
She is also survived by her sister, Diane Springer, and Diane’s husband, Arlen Springer, of Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Survivors also include her sister-in-law, Julie Wilhelmson, and Julie’s husband, Ron Wilhelmson, of Holly Springs, North Carolina.
Other survivors include several aunts, an uncle, and many relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ronald and Suzanne Meekma.
She was also preceded in death by her in-laws, James and Deloris Brothers.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.