Debra Troge, 73, went home to heaven on Monday, July 8, 2024. She died peacefully, surrounded by family at Shady Lane Assisted Living in Manitowoc, WI.

Debra Lynn Troge was born May 10, 1951, the first of five children born to Enno and Elaine Knief in Valparaiso, IN. She was baptized in Valparaiso and confirmed in her faith on Palm Sunday, 1965 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Watertown. She was a 1969 graduate of Lakeside Lutheran High School. She met Kurt Troge at Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN, and on June 22, 1974, they were married in Watertown, WI. They had enjoyed nearly 30 years together when he died May 24, 2004 of brain cancer.

Debbie and Kurt spent one year apart during their engagement, Debbie teaching in Pomona, CA and Kurt in Saginaw, MI. After writing love letters to one another nearly every day during their year apart, they wed and spent their first year together in Saginaw. From there, they moved to Jacksonville, FL from 1975 - 1980, where they were tasked with starting Our Savior's Lutheran School. Debbie taught grades K-4 while Kurt taught grades 5-8 in a one-room school, until Debbie gave birth to their first child, Alicia, in 1976. They relocated in 1980 to Merrill, WI with two children, Alicia and Ben, and their third, Ryan, on the way. Debbie thrived in motherhood, having two more children, Tricia and Caleb, by 1985. While raising her five children, she ran a daycare from home, excelled as a seamstress, selling handmade Barbie and Cabbage Patch doll clothes, and worked weekends at the Best Western. The Troge family then moved a third time and resided in New Ulm, MN from 1988 - 1996. Deb worked the front desk at Holiday Inn all eight of those years, and became a Mary Kay consultant in 1994. With the support of Kurt, she also helped start a Jesus Cares ministry in New Ulm, a ministry that aims to share the love of Jesus with people with developmental disabilities. The family moved to Manitowoc, WI in 1996, where Deb has resided until the present. In 2002, Deb became a Mary Kay director, earning her director's car. Kurt was able to witness this incredible accomplishment before he passed in 2004.

Deb Troge was a devoted wife and mother. When her first child, Alicia, was born with Down Syndrome, she poured her heart into helping Alicia thrive. She invested wholly into her five children's lives, attending anything and everything to show her love and support. Debra was a baby whisperer, a saxophone player, a seamstress, a Watertown beauty queen, and a wonderful wife and mother. She loved deeply, was known for leaving no empty space on a handwritten note, and was a cheerleader of others. She loved a good laugh, of which hers was infectious. While reflecting recently on her marriage to Kurt, she recalled with fondness, "We laughed a lot." She adored her 14 grandchildren, and lit up any time she could see or talk to any of them.

She is survived by children, Alicia Troge of Manitowoc; Ben (Katy) Troge of Orlando, FL; Tricia Chandler of Bartlett, IL; Caleb (Kristina) Troge of St. Joseph, Michigan; 14 grandchildren, Skyler, Kylie, Mikayla, Grant, and Savannah Troge; Truman, Malina, Maggie, and Margo Chandler; Levi, Grace, Miriam, Genesis, and Annalise Troge; sister Sara (Art) Piper; brother Enno Knief; sister Kim (Jim) Winters; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Christine (Adrian) Luecke of Spring, TX, Eric (Arlyss) Troge of Hortonville, WI, Melissa (Howard) Estervig of Jacksonville, FL, Gretchen (Stephen) Gallo of Clinton, IA; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Enno and Elaine (Hinzmann) Knief; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Wilbur and Helen (Brockdorf) Troge; brother Christopher Knief; husband Kurt Troge; son Ryan Troge; niece Laura Piper; many aunts and uncles.

A funeral service will be held Monday, July 22, 2024, 11 am at Grace Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, WI. Burial will take place in Evergreen Cemetery in Manitowoc at 2 pm. Family and friends may gather at the church from 9 am until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to WELS Jesus Cares ministry, Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School building project in New Ulm, MN, or Manitowoc Lutheran High School building project in Manitowoc, WI.

The family thanks the staff at Shady Lane Inc. and the hospice staff of Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in Manitowoc for the care Debra received during the last years and weeks of her life. Also, thank you to Grace Lutheran Church staff and volunteers for their care and support.