Mary Lou Debrick

Marie L. Debrick, known to family and friends as Mary Lou, was born February 8, 1936, in Greeley, Kansas to Henry and Edna (Boedeker) Schuknecht. She was baptized on February 16, 1936. She confessed and was confirmed in her baptismal faith at First Lutheran Church on April 10, 1949. Mary Lou remained an active member of First Lutheran Church all her life. Though she had no children of her own, Mary Lou taught the three-year-old Sunday School class over 30 years at First Lutheran Church, considering each of those children "her kids" and taking interest in their lives. Additionally, she was active in LLL and LWML church organizations. She died in the Christian faith on December 5, 2022 and now awaits the return of her Lord Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

Mary Lou was married to Carl Wayne Gerken on February 8, 1975; they divorced in 1996. She later married Donald Debrick in 1998; he died in 2010. She was finally married to Fred Helm in 2012; they divorced in 2020.

She worked in banking in Kansas City, Missouri, being employed 39 of those years with Mercantile Bank, most of those years commuting from Paola. For hobbies she loved to fish, bake, and decorate cakes for family and friends' weddings or special occasions. After retirement, she remained active in and served as a board member of the Paola Senior Center. She loved to play cards and organized an Evening Pitch Club at the Center along with many other impromptu games.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her father and mother, husband Donald Debrick, and brother Louis Schuknecht.

She is survived by her sister Betty Miller (Jim), three nephews Troy, Todd, and Tim (Marie), a number of step-children, grandchildren, and great grands.

Visitation 10:30 a.m., funeral service 11:00 a.m., at First Lutheran Church in Paola on January 7, 2023, concluding with committal at Memorial Gardens. The Reverend Christian Schultz will officiate.

Memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or to Paola Senior Center.