Deanna D (Schell) Meyer, 85, died of natural causes on January 15, 2025. She was born December 18, 1939 in Marysville, KS. She began her childhood in Marysville, then moved to many small towns in Oklahoma since her stepfather was a salesman. They eventually settled in Wichita, KS where she attended All Saints Grade School and graduated in 1957 from St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Dee was married to Jim Meyer at age 21 and had two children, Kevin and Kelley. When they divorced, she married Bill Mason and the family moved to Buhler, KS. She eventually became a member of the Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church and continued to reside in Buhler until she joined Jesus in Heaven.
Dee was quite diversified in her workplace skills. She did data entry at Southwestern Bell telephone company, Wesley Hospital, Boeing Computer Services and Wichita State University, retouched photos for Friesen Photography, worked for American Cab Company, drove the St. Francis Mobile Mammogram Van, and represented the SWEP program at American Red Cross. She also owned a day care, sold real estate and opened her own floral business called “Dee’s Designs.”
In Wichita, she was a 30-year member of the Sigma Phi Gamma philanthropic sorority. Locally, she volunteered at Central Christian School, Sunshine Meadows Retirement Community, and Grand Staff Thrift Boutique.
Dee loved being with her family. Some of her greatest joys included spending time with her grandchildren, Layne and Kaitlyn. Being able to live long enough to love on her great-grandchildren was a dream come true for her. She also valued time spent with her parents, children, brothers, sisters-in-law, aunts, nieces, nephew, and cousins.
Her interests included decorating, jewelry making, flower arranging, picture framing, candle making, landscaping, and roaming the country collecting rocks and weeds. She was always in search of a garage sale, flea market, estate sale, or thrift store. Her mission in life was not only to pick up bargains for herself, but for others as well - this was her act of service and love language. It truly made her heart happy to share these secondhand gifts and it silently said, “I was thinking of you.”
Dee is survived by: son Kevin Meyer with wife Teresa of Shawnee, KS; daughter Kelley Pankratz with husband Lee of Hutchinson, KS; grandson Layne Pankratz with wife Rachael and great-grandson Finnan of Plevna, KS; granddaughter Kaitlyn Roth with husband Colton and great-granddaughter Eliza of Sterling, KS; brother Dennis Schell and fiancé Pam Carpenter of Marysville, KS; brother (Butch) John Schell and wife Caryl of Centralia, KS; and brother Jan Schell of Marysville, KS.
She was preceded in death by: father John J. Schell; mother Helen (Koch) Borchardt; stepfather Robert O. Borchardt; sister-in-law Wilma (Gerdes) Schell; stepbrother Bobby Borchardt; twin nieces Leslie and Laurie Schell; and nephew Jon Schell.
A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church, 415 N. West St., Buhler, KS. In lieu of flowers, her family suggests donations to Grand Staff Thrift Boutique, 215 N. Main St., Buhler, KS 67522 or any Salvation Army in Dee’s memory. Cards and condolences can be sent to Buhler Mortuary, PO Box 589, Buhler, KS 67522.