June 30, 1955 – January 12, 2026_______________________________________
Mass of Christian Burial for Debra Meginness, 70, of Spearfish formerly of Firesteel, was held January 17, 2026, at the Isabel Community Center. Burial was at Hillview Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Deb peacefully passed away on Monday, January 12, 2026.
Debra Dee Bickel was born on June 30, 1955 to Harry and Shirley Bickel. She spent her early years on the family ranch north of Firesteel. She was a true ranch kid, playing in the dirt, working with her brothers Jack and Keith, and taking care of her many cats. She thoroughly enjoyed living in the same yard as her grandparents, often spending hours playing at their house. Her stories were full of accounts of her time at Fitzgerald Country School and the lifelong friends she made there.
Deb attended high school in Timber Lake, graduating in 1973. After high school she enrolled at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she forged friendships that endured throughout her life. At Concordia, she was involved in the theater department, both acting in plays and working behind the scenes. She graduated from Concordia in 1977. After college she briefly attended mime school in Wisconsin.
In 1979, Deb married KC Peters, whom she lost to cancer in 1982. She married John C. Meginness in 1992 and moved to his ranch south of Firesteel, where she settled into a life of teaching, gardening, and raising three wonderful children: Joy Elizabeth, Sabra Ellen, and Sean Michael.
Deb spent nearly three decades as a teacher, and it was clearly her passion. Generations of students learned that she was the go-to person for everything from snacks to first-aid supplies to an overall safe space to just be in her presence. She was generous with both her time and her talents. She loved her time as a teacher, first in Isabel, then Timber Lake. Alongside teaching, she nurtured her other passions, such as crafting, gardening, and photography. She loved spending time in her craft room, her garden, and in nature.
She will be remembered by those nearest her for her unwavering kindness, humor, and quiet strength. After her cancer diagnosis, she refused to complain.
Deb spent the last months of her life at her home in Spearfish, a place she had cherished for many years. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones.
There are many nouns that can be applied to Debra Meginness: Mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt, sister, wife, teacher, friend. In every case, she was the best anyone could have asked for.
She is survived by her daughter Sabra Sonsalla and her husband Eric of Lemmon, son Sean Meginness and his wife Mara of Minneapolis, MN; son-in-law Grant Austin of Gillette, WY; her grandchildren Gabe Austin, and Jacob, Tenley, Stella, and Baker Sonsalla; and her brothers Jack and Keith Bickel of Firesteel.
Deb was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Shirley Bickel; her in-laws, John and Alice Meginness; her daughter, Joy Austin, and her husband John C.
She was also preceded in death and is survived by innumerable family members and friends.
Her family is grateful to Cathy Boehler, Vicky Meginness, and Beth Schweitzer for their help in caring for Deb.
(The family’s address is: 8021 Brooks Loop, Spearfish, SD 57783)