Debra Ainslie

Funeral services for 67-year old Debra Ainslie of Chadron, NE, are Tues, Jan 17, 2023 at 10:30 AM at the United Methodist Church in Hay Springs, NE.

Burial will follow at the Gordon City Cemetery in Gordon, NE, that afternoon at 1:00.

A memorial has been established for the Circle of Light cancer support program and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain Chapel, PO Box 970, Chadron, NE 69337.

Online condolences may be made at chamberlainchapel.com

Debra Louise (Johns) Ainslie was born in Gordon, NE on the 15th of July 1955, the first of three daughters born to Orvis and Peggie Johns. She left this world to be with her Lord and Savior on January 8, 2023, after a 5-year battle with cancer.

After graduating from Gordon High School, Debra moved to Scottsbluff to attend beautician school.  While there she was joined in marriage to Tom Ainslie of Hay Springs.  To this union were born three children: John, Tereasa and Connie. 

Tom and Debra eventually returned to Gordon where Debra worked at Gordon Memorial Hospital. After her divorce she moved to Chadron to attend Chadron State College and obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. 

Debra then moved her family to Hay Springs and got a job at the Chadron Memorial Hospital as a Ward Clerk.  After 31 years in that job she retired in 2018.  Shortly after her retirement, Debra was diagnosed with cancer. 

Over the years, Debra dedicated her life to her children and grandchildren, serving as a Cub and Boy Scout Leader, Girl Scout Leader, basketball Mom, band Mom, and anything else that her family was involved in – as well as being a car seat technician and CPR instructor.

Debra played bells with the Hay Springs Methodist Church Joy Bells for over 30 years and also loved camping, boating, water skiing and helped teach numerous kids to water ski.

She had other loves as well, including crocheting as she kept all of her daughters, sisters and nieces supplied with handmade dish cloths, baking cookies, decorating cakes, and traveling to see family and tour places. 

Debra was preceded in death by her Grandparents Merle and Myrtle Spindler and Alvin and Mabel Johns, her parents Orvis and Peggie Johns, her sister Sharon Dexter, her ex-husband Tom Ainslie and several cousins. 

She is survived by her son John (Dawn) Ainslie of Katy, Texas; daughters Tereasa (Ronnie) Herman of Chadron and Connie (Dallas) Hitzel of Burlison, Tenn; sister Carolyn (Dan) Seidler of Alliance, NE; brother-in-law Monte Dexter of Alliance; aunt Lynn Sullivan of San Juan Capistrano, Calif; her beloved grandchildren Houston Ainslie, Michael Herman, Joseph Herman, Brook Herman and Joshua Hitzel; and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.  

Chamberlain Chapel of Chadron is in charge of arrangements for Debra Ainslie