Deborah Lorene Land

Deborah Lorene Land, our beloved wife, mother and grandmother went to be with the Lord on January 4, 2021.

A celebration of Deborah’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 7, 2021 at the First Baptist Church in Panhandle. Burial will follow in the Panhandle Cemetery under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Panhandle.

Deborah was born in Groom April 12, 1951 to Alexander Selkirk and Lorene McAnear. She was raised on a farm that was on the county line between Donley and Armstrong. Deborah accepted the Lord at the young age at Goodnight Baptist Church. Growing up in a family of seven, they all worked together, doing their part on the farm. She attended school for 12 years at Clarendon. During school years she was an exceptional tennis player, going on after high school to play college tennis. She graduated from Clarendon High School in 1969 and attended Clarendon College for two years earning her Associate Degree.

Deborah married Steve Land on May 22, 1971. After the wedding they moved to Canyon, Texas to attend West Texas State University. Deborah earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and began a lifelong profession as a teacher. She taught at Rolling Hills Elementary School one year before moving to Memphis with Steve where she taught one year at Lakeview Schools, before ending three years at Memphis Elementary. While at Memphis, she helped with the women’s tennis program developing several state champions.

In 1978, she moved to Panhandle with Steve where she taught kindergarten for 3 years, then moved to Jr High where she taught English and Reading until she retired in May 2008. During her teaching years at Panhandle, she managed to raise 3 boys and make numerous trips to North Western University in Oklahoma to earn her Master’s of Education degree. She had an impact on the lives of so many students during her career, many of them being at Panhandle High School.

After retirement, Deborah helped with vacation bible school at First Baptist. She loved doing yard work and working in her flower beds.

She loved traveling to Warrenton and Canton to hunt for vintage treasures, but her favorite was attending her grandkids activities.

Deborah is preceded in death by her parents, AS and Lorene McAnear; her sisters, Barbara Harmon and Brenda Barrett; and two brothers, Jimmy McAnear and Cody McAnear.

“DD” is survived by her husband, Steve of Panhandle; three sons, Mark and wife Callie of Panhandle, Kirk and wife Josie of Amarillo and Wesley and future wife, Sarah; two sisters, Judy and husband, Bill Monk of Amarillo and Sheila Babbitt of Amarillo. She is also survived by her very special loved ones, five grandchildren, Mackie, Leah, Carly, Jack, and Joyce and Grand dogs, Bandit, Hondo, Oakley, and Scout along with one Grand cat, Raider.

The family request memorials to the First Baptist Church of Panhandle.