Debra Louise (Sluder) Cates, age 61, of Paragould, passed from the cares of this life on Monday, May 1, 2023, at St. Bernard’s Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. Debra was born on November 25, 1961, in Michigan.

Debra worked as a Walmart associate for many years. Prior to Walmart, she worked at Waterloo Industries for 20 years, and was very proud of her first “big girl job.” She was a loving mother, grandmother, and friend. Her family was her entire life. She attended as many family functions as she could. Her grandbabies were her heart, and she loved to watch them grow. She will be dearly missed by everyone, especially those who called her Grammy.

Debra was preceded in death by the love of her life, Timothy Cates; her father, Carlton Sluder; step-father, Billy Clayton; grandparents, Alvie and Gladis Sluder, and John and Martha Angevine.

Left to cherish her memories are her mother, Mary Anna (Angevine) Clayton; her loving daughters, Samantha (Justin) Fry, Ashley (Brad) Scott, and Sarah (Justifer) Moore; brothers, Wayne Sluder, Bert Sluder, Carl Sluder, and Don Sluder; sisters, Brenda Barnes, Tina Henderson, Karen Sluder, and Heather Cortes; grandchildren, Sydney Cates, Lucetta Cates, William Fry, Michael Fry, Allyson Cates, Meredith Moore, Livie Fry, Johnathan Moore, along with many other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A funeral service will be held at Mitchell Funeral Home on Thursday, May 11, at 1:00 P.M. with Brother Charles Stoddard officiating. The family will receive friends from 11:00 A.M. until the time of the service. Burial will follow at Shiloh Cemetery.

Honored to serve as pallbearers will be Bert Sluder, Carl Sluder, Justifer Moore, Wayne Sluder, and Justin Fry. Honorary pallbearers will be William Fry and Michael Fry.

Condolences may be made to the famity at mitchellfuneralhomes.com