Lacy "Deanna" Gurlen lived a life full of love and legacy. She was born on October 20th, 1944, in Piedmont, Missouri to Lacy and Rosemary Melton. With her father being a stone mason, Deanna's childhood was filled with many travels to her father's next job site, resulting in eighteen different schools for Deanna by the time she completed high school. Though she was not fond of all the relocations, she was happy to have her three sisters as her best friends by her side through all their adventures.

Deanna married Jim Gurlen and celebrated sixty years together this past year. Together they have three children, Kevin, Kimberly, and Christa. On top of being a loving and doting full-time mother to her three children, Deanna also had a career at Boeing for several years. Deanna was passionate about helping others. She was known to never see a charity and not contribute. She volunteered with several outreach ministries for years and attended church faithfully each week. As a testament to the loving woman she was, she happily traded in all her empty-nest years to have her house filled with grandchildren each day. She also enjoyed playing bingo, listening to Elvis, and frogs. She showed endless love and generosity and recognized each day as a blessing from God. Through her, many of her friends and family members not only grew to know God but were able to see His love through Deanna each day.

Deanna is joined in Heaven by her mother and father, sister Betty, and brother Michael. Her legacy has left six grandchildren; Angie, Kody, Jimmy, Tiffany, Brittany, and Emily, as well as four great-grandchildren; Steven, Allison, Eden, and soon-to-be Lacey, all of whom Deanna cherished and was very involved with until her final days. Words cannot express the heartache that is felt with her gone, but we are comforted knowing she is in Heaven with her savior.

Memorial will be held at Fee Fee Baptist Church on Saturday, February 17th. Memorial visitation will be held at 10:00 AM and memorial service will begin at 11:00 AM.