Debra A. Klein, 51

Debra Ann Klein, formerly of Grygla, passed away in Spokane, Washington on December 30, 2018 at the age of 51.
Graveside service will be held at Hansville Cemetery near Fosston, on May 4th at 11 a.m. A celebration of life will follow at the Grygla Community Center beginning at 3 p.m.
Debra was born on December 23, 1967 in Fosston, to Ralph and Donna Klein, and was the fifth of eight children. She grew up in the northwestern Minnesota town of Grygla, population 211, and graduated from high school in 1986. One of her favorite stories to tell from high school was how she totaled the driver’s education car.
Debra started college at the University of Minnesota in Crookston and transferred to Minnesota State University in Moorhead in 1988. She graduated in 1992 with degrees in Elementary Education and Coaching.
Debra loved playing and talking sports and her five 3-pointers in one game often came up in conversations. As their point guard, her basketball team won two state titles and were later inducted into the UMC Sports Hall of Fame.
Prior to graduation, Debra began traveling to Anchorage, Alaska in the summers to work as a waitress. Being the adventurous type and loving Alaska, she moved there after graduation and continued to work as a waitress and substitute teacher until she was hired full time by the Anchorage School District in 1996.
Deb started her career at Mountain View Elementary and after a short stint there, was hired at Northwood Elementary as one of the fourth-grade teachers. She loved teaching and the kids loved her and her somewhat unorthodox style. Her fellow teachers probably remember that her classroom was not the tidiest! She had a profound way of connecting with and inspiring kids both in the classroom and as a volleyball coach.
Deb was extremely compassionate and empathetic about the people in her life, always putting others first and making sure everyone had a good time.
In 1993, while waitressing at the Sea Galley, Deb met John Bost, whom she married on March 11, 1995. Deb was so nervous at the wedding that two of her brothers had to practically carry her down the aisle.
Deb loved to play golf and became good at it very quickly, often shooting in the 90’s. She joined the Anchorage Women’s Golf Association and spent many happy years with the ladies’ club. Deb’s pre-shot routine often included the mantra, “lock, load, focus, and commit.” She also loved to hike and ski and has climbed most of the peaks behind Anchorage numerous times. While hiking “The Ramp,” she was too scared to climb the last 15 feet. This earned her the nickname “sissy bedwetter”, a title she often used on others.
Deb and John spent many winter weekends at their condo at Alyeska Ski Resort, and a dinner at the Double Musky was a ritual. Winter vacations to Cabo or Cancun were highlights for many years until they bought a home in Indian Wells, California, which became their yearly winter destination. John retired in 2012 and they moved to Liberty Lake, Washington, became snowbirds, and split their time between Washington and California.
Deb is survived by her husband, John; stepson Ian (Jenn) and their children, Emma and Ariyana; stepdaughter Whitney (Rob) and their children, Pilar and Diego; her seven siblings, Eric, Kelly, Rebecca, Jeff, Shane, Ryan, and Rachel; many other family members and friends; and her dog, Fred.
Deb was preceded in death by her father and mother, Ralph and Donna Klein.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Foundation for Alcoholism Research. (alcoholismresearch.org)