Debra "Deb" Lynn (Johnson) Wilkening

Debra Lynn Wilkening, A.K.A. Deb or Debbie, entered God’s care on April 13, 2024, at age 60 due to complications from late-stage cancer. She was born in Park Rapids, MN on October 18, 1963, to Larry and Doris Johnson of Walker, MN, where she grew up alongside her sister, Cindy (Dick) Dailing of Watertown, MN and two brothers, Jeff (Sue) Johnson of Dayton, MN and Kevin (Kim) Johnson of Walker. 

Deb graduated from Walker-Hackensack High School in 1982, where she excelled in speech, one act play, band, choir, and cheerleading. After high school she furthered her education at St. Cloud Tech and worked as a bookkeeper for various businesses and the Cass County Hwy Department before designing and creating Café Zona Rosa in 1996. 

Debbie was a successful entrepreneur and business woman training and managing 100’s of employees over the years while creating a friendly, lively place for people to dine until she retired in 2021.

Debbie married her high school sweetheart Gary Wilkening on June 11, 1983, at Hope Lutheran Church and together they raised two daughters, Christina (Ryan) Bogart of Duluth and Jessica Wilkening (Ethan Kilby fiancée) of Duluth.

Deb is survived by her husband, parents, brothers, sister, daughters, four grandchildren, Brock, Virginia, Tenley and Ezra Bogart; numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Deb loved to cook, read, travel and spend time with her family.  She was known for her enthusiastic personality, wit, humor and infectious laughter. Those who knew her came to love her zest for life and genuine, straight forward nature.

A Memorial service to honor Deb’s life will be held on Friday, April 19th, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., with a two-hour visitation prior to her services, all to be held at Hope Lutheran Church, 305 10th Street, Walker, MN. Pastor Matthew McWaters will officiate. Special music will be played by The Smith Family. A private Inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Walker MN, at a later date.

The family requests any memorials be directed in Deb’s memory to the Walker Area Food Shelf or Family Safety Network of Walker, as these are two organizations that were close to her heart.

Deb’s care has been entrusted to Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.northernpeace.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Debra "Deb" Lynn (Johnson) Wilkening, please visit our floral store.