Jean Elizabeth DeBoer, 66, of Austin, died on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home in Austin. She was born Aug. 26, 1947, in Austin to Sidney and Lillian (Peck) Felty. A 1965 graduate of Austin High School, Jean continued her studies at Methodist Kahler School of Nursing, graduating in 1968. She began working at St. Olaf Hospital in Austin in late 1968, and then worked in the ICU/Step-Down unit at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea until January 1973. Following this, she began a career of more than 40 years at Austin Medical Center, the entire time spent on the Med/Surg Pediatrics unit. Her own health conditions prohibited Jean from continuing in the career she loved. She retired in 2013. Her marriage to William Arnold ‘Arnie’ DeBoer began on Aug. 3, 1968. The couple was married at First Baptist Church in Austin. They recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. A lifelong Austin resident, Jean enjoyed sewing, reading, camping, gardening and traveling.  She tended to several flower gardens, and had visited all 50 states on her many road trips. She belonged to Faith Evangelical Free Church, and is remembered as a very caring and selfless person. She handled her cancer journey with tremendous strength and helped others during her own time of need.

Survivors include her husband, William ‘Arnie’ DeBoer, of Austin; children, Melissa (Stephen) Alcorn of Montrose, Colo., and Dustin DeBoer of Austin; brother, Garth (Mary) Felty of Minnetonka; sister, Kim (Dale) Rosten of Eden Prairie; mother-in-law, Sadie DeBoer of Albert Lea; sisters-in-law, Marie DeBoer of Albert Lea and Jane (Don) Errett of Cullman, Ala.; brother-in-law, Burton (Kay) DeBoer of Granite Falls, N.C.; two aunts, Cornelia Felty of Brownsdale and Shirley Orth of Byron; and uncle, Frank (Lois) Felty of Minneapolis.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sidney and Lillian Felty; and her father-in-law, William B. DeBoer.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 26 at Faith Evangelical Free Church with the Rev. Mike Sager officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Worlein Funeral Home in Austin and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Interment will be in Grandview Cemetery at a later date. Jean’s wishes were that memorials be directed to Focus on the Family, 8685 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 or to the Dr. David Jeremiah Broadcast Ministry at www.davidjeremiah.org. Services will be prearranged and performed by Worlein Funeral Home of Austin. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.