A funeral service for Debi Kirschten, 64, of Baker, MT will be 1:00 p. m. , Thursday, October 1, 2015 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker with Pastors Bruce & Reba Kolasch officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery. Visitation for Debi will be from 5:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. , Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, with a prayer service being held at 7:00 p. m. Debi passed away Friday, September 25, 2015 at her home near Baker. I decided to write my own obituary because I wanted to spare my family of having to come up with a poetic stanza, or try to think of each and all of my accomplishments. Actually, I really don’t recall any accomplishments in my life. I do however, recall things that I was passionate about; my son, Jeremy “AJ” Suttie; my husband, Mike Kirschten; my grandchildren, Jayden, Jena, Shy, Justice, and Liberty; daughter, Trisha; niece, Jodi; nephew, Levi; and my special daughter, Shannon. I was born March 30, 1951 in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Reuel V. and Goldie E. (Schmidt) McMaster. I loved gardening and preserving the bounties of my gardens. I used to like to mow grass, and spend time with my animals (goats, llamas, horses, sheep and cows). They centered me! They loved me because I was their food wagon, but sometimes they just loved me. From where I stand (lay), I just tried to do the best I could in my life with me. Rarely did I succeed in accomplishing what I set out to do, the way that I originally pictured it in my mind. But did the best I could in a way that made sense to me. For all the BGC’s I had, I was actually a pretty happy person on a daily or part of a daily basis, or at the very least I tried. By no means was I perfect! My father-in-law used to say I was rough around the edges!I encountered many bumps in the road and a lot of bruises along the way! There is not however, a time in my life that I couldn’t name happy or fun times. Some parts of my life were harder than others, but I kept getting back on the horse. I learned something from every stupid decision I made, and lived with the consequences. Sure, I have regrets! Yes, I did sin! The only thing separating me from another is the degree in which I sinned. I was known for my foot in mouth syndrome, which I was never able to fix, I didn’t always make the best choices in life, sometimes hurting others in my path! For this I am deeply sorry!I also get my chance this way, to say THANK YOU! Thank you to any and all of you that for whatever reason decided that they had a few minutes of their day to share it with me! Those who helped me, assisted me, cared for me, laughed with me, and cried with me! I believe I had a lot more laughs than tears, so again, thank you for participating in my life in whatever way you have. You have made my life worth living, even in the toughest of times. If you think of me and want to honor my memory, do this: Adopt a stray animal or at least take it out of the cold and find it a good home. God gives us everything we need, do the same for your animals. Volunteer to be a part-time parent or grandparent to a child or children that may need you more than you would ever think. Sit with them on Saturday morning and watch cartoons, play volleyball, T-ball, basketball, or just be a kid again with them. No one is going to care how clean your house was after you are gone. But, some child might remember that you gave them a few minutes of your day. Forgive that one person that drove you and your sanity up the wall!Volunteer at a homeless shelter or offer shelter or a ride to someone that desperately needs just to be warm for a few minutes. Take back your life and quit being leery of everyone you don’t know. Let down your guard once in a while, a beautiful relationship could be hiding behind the façade, just take it one layer at a time. What you actually may be seeing is nothing more than fear!I guess in most people’s eyes, this is strange, perhaps morbid of me to do this. But, I wanted you to know my heart! My open mouth syndrome has already introduced you to my mind, and we all know about the clumsy body!Most of all, thank you Jesus for giving me the life you have given me! Thank you, Jesus for showing me the beauty along with the ugly sadness. All of my sunsets have been glorious! Thank you for this final one!I am survived by my husband, Michael; son, Jeremy Suttie; grandchildren, Jayden, Jena, Shy, Justice, and Liberty; niece, Trisha and her children Jodi and Levi; mother-in-law, Miriam Kirschten; and special daughter, Shannon. I was preceded in death by my parents, Reuel and Goldie; brother, Joseph McMaster; and father-in-law, Jim Kirschten . In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be sent to West River Health Services, 1000 Hwy 12, Hettinger, ND 58639-7530.
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Burial Date: October 1, 2015
Church Stevenson Funeral Home
Funeral Service: Thursday, Stevenson Funeral Home, Baker, MT