Deborah A. Fluegel

Deborah “Debbie” Ann Fluegel, 51, of Tremont, passed away Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at her home.

She was born May 17, 1972 in Pekin to Gary and Alice Schwartz Fluegel.

Surviving are her parents, Gary and Alice Fluegel of Tremont; one sister, Rebecca (Nathan) Hubbard of Mackinaw; two nephews, Dakota (fiancé Kelsey) Polhemus of Cedar Rapids, IA and Colton Polhemus of Mackinaw; and many honorary nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents.

Debbie had a B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Maine at Machias. She managed Trees Forever’s Illinois Buffer Partnership and its Pollinator Habitat Conservation programs for both Iowa and Illinois for the last 17 years.  She served as the Staff Liaison to the Trees Forever Executive Board.  Debbie was responsible for planting over 1 million trees in the state of Illinois during her time with Trees Forever, averaging 58,000 trees planted per year.  She was a member of the Environmental Education Association of Illinois, the Illinois Forestry Association, the Soil & Water Conservation Society, and the Association for Temperate Agroforestry.  She was awarded the National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educator Award in 2017 for her commitment to environmental education. Debbie served as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources River Watch coordinator for over 20 years. She was also a member of the Illinois Urban Forest Strike Team who went out after natural disasters to evaluate the health of the trees.  Most notably during the derecho that passed through the Midwest in  2020, Debbie was sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa one of the hardest areas hit. 

She was certified as an Arborist in 2019 and was very proud of this accomplishment.  To all who knew Debbie, she was our Lorax and spoke for the trees.  She loved the environment, the trees, and the animals.  Her passion was educating all of us on the importance of taking care of the environment and how important it is to plant native trees and plants. 

Debbie loved her family fiercely and had so many friends that she considered family.  She could be found at sporting events, plays, concerts for her nephews and nieces. She was always up for an adventure and lived her live with the mantra of “You only live Once!” Debbie enjoyed quilting and made many quilts over the years for friends and family.

Her funeral will be at 11:00 am Monday, September 11, 2023 at Davis-Oswald Funeral Home in Tremont.  Visitation will be from 3 to 6 pm Sunday, also at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Mackinaw Township Cemetery in Mackinaw.

Memorials may be made to Trees Forever  80 West 8th Ave.  Marion, IA  52302.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Deborah A. Fluegel, please visit our floral store.