116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Debra Luerkens
DEBRA S. LUERKENS
Cedar Rapids
Debra S. Luerkens, 67, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was carried home to heaven on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. In agreement with her wishes, cremation has taken place. The family will greet friends and family from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family requests that all attending the visitation wear casual clothing. A private family committal service and inurnment will take place at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Debbie was born May 7, 1954, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was one of seven children born to Craig and Loretta (Pratt) Sweet. Debbie was united in marriage to Cameron D. Luerkens on Aug. 10, 1974, in Cedar Rapids. During much of the 1970s and 1980s, Debbie and her sister, Candy, owned and operated the Dairy Queen on Mount Vernon Road SE. Later, Debbie worked for her mother and sister at Pratt Audio Video until her retirement. She was a member of All Saints Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids.
Debbie was the backbone of the family and will be remembered for bringing everyone together by arranging holiday activities. Debbie cherished watching her kids and grandkids play sports and traveled to support their teams. She enjoyed swimming in the pool with family and friends. Debbie loved to travel to the Caribbean with longtime friends, Mark and Julie Gustafson. She was always eager to help when a grandchild was in need of a ride or as a babysitter, mostly on short notice. She prioritized the needs of others over her own. Debbie will be considerably missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 47 years, Cam Luerkens; two sons, Jeremy (Leanne) Luerkens of Cedar Rapids and Nick Luerkens of Cedar Rapids; one daughter, McKenzie (Kai) Hines of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Alaina, Callie, Lawton, Kai and Harlow; siblings, Chris Hulfish, Cindy Egger, Linda Ross, Gary Sweet and Candy DeCamp; and many nieces and nephews.
Debbie was preceded into eternal life by her parents, Craig and Loretta Sweet; and brother, Dennis Sweet.
Please share a memory of Debbie at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters