Whitesell, Deb Edit page

Debra Joan (Shaffer) Whitesell was born February 14, 1957, in Audubon, IA and died peacefully in her home on June 19, 2025. The family moved from Coon Rapids, IA in 1965 to Cedar Falls where she attended Cedar Falls schools. She graduated from UNI with a B.A in Health Sciences, then continued her education by getting a B.S. in Elementary Education from Upper Iowa; then later attending UNI again to receive her Special Education Teaching endorsement. She taught at the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Center beginning in 1990 and retiring in 2018. 

Her first marriage was to David Bass in 1978 and later divorced. Her second marriage was to Bob Anderson in 1990 and later divorced. She then married the love of her life in 2004 to Ted Whitesell. 

Deb was preceded in death by her mom and dad Bob and Jan Shaffer. 

She is survived by her husband Ted, her brother Doug (Peggy) Shaffer of Jesup, her sister Diane (Jim) Jeffrey of Cedar Falls, her son Sam Bass of Cedar Falls, and her stepchildren Kristy Conkity of Cedar Falls, Jill Brumley of Cedar Falls, Mary Whitesell of Cedar Falls, Stephen (Kelly) Whitesell of Cedar Falls, Ben (Ashley) Whitesell of Waterloo, and Christian Whitesell of Cedar Falls. 

Deb was considered a most caring and giving person. She loved the Lord and was grateful for everything she had and the people in her life. The things that brought her the most joy in life were her close family. She was known by all to be the most clean and organized person on the planet! She enjoyed going to the beach, traveling to California, living on the lake in Florida, scrapbooking, watching Hallmark movies and The Price is Right (as well as being in the audience some 16 times). She will be forever loved and missed. 

Memorial services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Prairie Lakes Church in Cedar Falls. Family will gather at the church at 1:00 p.m. Burial will take place at a later date.