Deborah Ann Lemon

Deb Lemon, age 78, of Yankton, South Dakota, died on her birthday on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota after a brief illness.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Yankton, South Dakota, with Reverend Tom Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Yankton. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 5:00 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with a rosary and vigil service at 5:00 PM.

The family prefers memorials be directed to the American Life League, P.O. Box 6170, Falmouth, Virginia, 22403 or to the House of Mary Shrine, P.O. Box 455, Yankton, South Dakota, 57078.

Pallbearers will be her nephews.

Deborah Ann Lemon was born March 3, 1948, in Camden, New Jersey, to Elgin and Ann (Keating) Lemon Jr. She grew up in Yankton, South Dakota and graduated from Sacred Heart School, Mount Marty High School and then from Mount Marty College with a Bachelors Degree in History. She joined the United States Army and was stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado. She then returned to Yankton and began working for her brother Mike at American Family Insurance.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and had a deep devotion to her faith and to the power of prayer. She prayed for everyone but especially for the souls in purgatory. She enjoyed books, religious statues, dolls, babies and sketching pictures of the saints and the royal family. She especially enjoyed her trips to Europe with her brother Brendan, first to Italy in 1986 and then to Spain and France in 1998. Deb was very knowledgeable about the things that interested her and when she wanted to learn something she was all in. She loved her family and loved being a godmother to her sister, Becky DeBolt and her niece, Susan Simon.

Survivors include her four brothers: Mike (Cheryl) Lemon of Yankton, South Dakota; John (Colleen) Lemon of Campbell, California; Brendan Lemon of New York City, New York; and David (Di) Lemon of Omaha, Nebraska; three sisters: Lee (Ron) Barkley of Yankton; Mollie McKenna of Omaha; and Becky (Mike) DeBolt of Omaha; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, K.C. Lemon; sister, Megan Lemon; and brother-in-law, Rick McKenna.