Carter, Debora A. 1961-2025 St. Joseph, Mo.
Debora Ann Carter, 64, of St. Joseph, passed away Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at the Oregon Care Center from complications from kidney failure. She was born May 11, 1961, in St. Joseph, daughter of Shirley (Bouge) and James Sharp.
She was a 1979 graduate of DeKalb, Missouri, High School, and attended Missouri Western State College. Debora was a great athlete and earned many awards in both track and basketball in high school, and she even held the high school track record in the 4X400 Meter Relay for 45 years. After college, Debora devoted her life to raising her daughter, Angela, and being a homemaker while helping on the family farm. She later worked at the YMCA as a Child Watch Attendant in both Platte City, Missouri, and St. Joseph. She was a Godly woman and a long-time member of DeKalb Christian Church, and more recently she attended Grace Calvary Chapel. She lived in DeKalb most of her life, but lived in Marietta, Georgia, from 1993 to 1995 and in St. Joseph since 2017.
Debora was a loving mother, Nana, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She always had a smile on her face and was kind to everyone. Her four grandchildren were her pride and joy, and she loved to spoil them. She loved eating out, shopping, listening to music and going to concerts. She was a great cook and liked to cook homemade meals for her family. Debora hosted three foreign exchange students when her daughter was in high school, and to this day was very close to Eva Wanik-Better from Austria. Debora got to travel to many places in her life, which included Hawaii, Alaska, England twice, France twice, Germany, and Austria. Debora enjoyed talking with everyone she met, and was so thoughtful and caring, sending cards and keeping track of friends and family’s birthdays and anniversaries. She enjoyed spending time with her loving boyfriend of five years, Dan.
Debora was preceded in death by her parents, Shirley and James Sharp; grandparents, Paul and Lucille Sharp and Harvey and Anna Bouge; and aunts, Eunice McConnell, Doris Shelton, and Della Watkin; and first cousins, Eddie Shelton, Nancy Cram, and Darwin Watkins.
Survivors include her boyfriend, Dan Henggeler; daughter, Angela (Brandon) Leininger, of Weston, Missouri; brother, Scotty (Ruth) Sharp, of DeKalb; sister, Lisa (Steve Sr.) Lawson, of DeKalb; grandchildren, Boyd, Brynn, Breanna, and Boone Leininger. Survivors also include: nieces and nephews, Merry, Katharine, and Matthew Sharp and Stevie and Patti Lawson; her uncle, Harold Bouge; first cousins, Lois Ohlensehlen, Laura Shelton, Wesley Steven Watkins, Carrie Dreier, Dennis Bouge, Carl Bouge, and Rita Johnston; and her former husband, Billy Carter.
Funeral Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, at the Rupp Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Rupp Funeral Home. The Interment will follow services at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family request Memorials to the DeKalb High School.
Online condolences, obituary and public live stream at www.ruppfuneral.com As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
