On January 22, 2021, Debbie Farris of Cowden, IL, passed away at the age of 68 after a long and valiant battle with small cell lung cancer.

Debbie was born on March 3, 1952 in Taylorville IL, to James and Martha Farris. She explored much of the country during the 1970s as a young adult, a self-professed “free spirit” and a licensed emergency medical technician. Unusual for the time, Debbie worked as a professional x-ray technician in the oil fields of Wyoming and Louisiana. She was especially pleased to be featured in “Gulf Oil Magazine” as the first woman to work on a SPUD barge.

In 1983 Debbie settled in South Texas where she was an active volunteer, ultimately establishing a thriving food pantry for community members in need. Her love of reading led to managing a large bookstore for several years, where she enjoyed zipping around the store on roller skates.

Upon moving to Shelbyville, IL in 1992, Debbie opened her own bookstore called Twice Sold Tales – a dream come true. Surrounded by books and book lovers – and still on skates – she took great joy in decorating the store windows. Neighboring businesses enjoyed her windows so much they hired her to decorate their storefronts as well.

Debbie lived in Shelbyville for many years until moving to Cowden, IL in 2002. She retired from International Paper in 2008, when she was first diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

She loved reading, gardening, and being involved in the AA community. She was sober for more than 25 years and found great joy in helping others on their journeys; over the years she sponsored many people.

She leaves behind her daughters Tammy (Will) and Tasha (Marek); siblings Tony, Patty, and Jim (Hildreth); granddaughter Mikaela; nieces and nephews Dana, Gwyn, Megan, Marc, Kiran, Jeremy, and Ean; best friend Faith; and countless friends within the local dancing and AA communities. Her parents Jim and Marty Farris and sister Judi preceded her in death. She was loved, and she will be missed.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date, once gatherings are safe again. We invite you to contribute any stories or photos you’d like to share by emailing them to Debbie.bookwoman@gmail.com or sharing them here.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.