Debra Lehmkuhl

The Lord has never failed me, ever. If you want a true friend, He’s the one. Care about people and friends. There’s no greater gift than to share kindness and love with others.

Debra Lehmkuhl

My name is Debra Lehmkuhl. I was born on July 4th, 1958 in Wayzata, Minnesota. My mother was Cherokee and Choctaw and my father was Norwegian. I have two brothers named Wes and Steve.

We moved to Los Angeles, California the year I was born. My father drove a double-decker bus at Disneyland. I enjoyed living near the ocean. We eventually moved back to Minnesota.

When I was 14 years old, my mother died of cancer. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her because I was away at Bible Camp. It was very difficult after my mother died. My father had trouble dealing with my mother’s death, so I had to raise myself. I also got teased about being overweight and about my hair.

I have a very deep Christian faith and my very best friend is the Lord Jesus. This has gotten me through difficult times. I also focus on my Native American side to keep connected with my mother.

During my high school years, I lived at a Bible camp in New York. After graduation, I went to live with a Vietnamese family in Cleveland, Ohio for a year. Because of the diet they ate, I lost a bunch of weight from eating their food.

After high school I had my first son Josh. It was hard being a single mom and providing for him. I then married my first husband and moved to the Black Hills in South Dakota. I had another son, Wes, and a daughter, Sarah. I loved living in the Black Hills. I worked as a substitute teacher and had a summer job as the YMCA camp director. I loved working with kids. Unfortunately, my husband and I got a divorce several years later.

I moved back to Minnesota with my daughter since my older sons were already grown. I went back to college and got my degree in education at the University of Minnesota - Morris. I sometimes brought my daughter to class with me, so she could see the importance of education.

College, I worked at Anoka Ramsey Community College in the Admissions Office, but I missed working with kids. So I applied for a position in Elk River Schools as the American Indian Education Coordinator and got the job! I love my job. I get to do Ojibwa traditions with my American Indian students. I like participating in powwows because it connects me with my ancestors.

I now am remarried to my husband whose name is Terry. We have a blended family with 7 children and two grandchildren.

Last summer, I went to Peru on a mission trip. While there, I helped many poor people that didn’t have homes, or families and lived in orphanages. Peru has also had earthquakes so I helped build homes for them. I also volunteer at the Sherburne County Jail and help women who deal with their struggles.