Deborah Ann Burnette

Deborah Ann Burnette, 69 of Vanderbilt, passed away in Petoskey on Friday, November 3, 2023.  Deborah was born the fifth of eight children to George and Betty (Gouthier) Whittaker in Deckerville, Michigan. 

When she was in her early teens, her family made the move north to Wolverine, MI, where Deborah was a graduate of the class of 1972. 

Deb fell in love and married Stanley “Stan” Burnette and moved to Indianapolis, IN.  There, Jeffrey, the first of her four sons, was born.  Not long after that Jeff and Deborah moved back to Wolverine where she met and fell in love again with Butch Webb, her longtime companion and together they had three sons, Nick, Brandon, and Ryan.  A special thankyou to Butch for his care of Deb near the end.

Along with being a full-time mom of four busy boys, Deb spent many hours bartending.  She was a member of the Free Methodist Church in Wolverine, and liked spending time playing bingo and time at the casino.  Some of the happiest memories her boys have are of the Christmas gatherings they had together.

Of course, with children, you often have grandchildren, and they were the apple of Deb’s eye.  She loved spending time with them and would often be found gardening, puzzling, or working on diamond art together.   She had hours of enjoyment from just watching them play.  She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Deborah was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings, Harold Whittaker, and Janet Longbotham; and her son Brandon Burnette.

She is survived by her three sons, Jeffrey (Erica) of Indian River, Nick (Amber Keyes) of Vanderbilt, and Ryan (Sarah Scripps) of Wolverine; grandchildren, Dorian, Preston, and Kiezer; siblings, Cherri Whittaker of Boyne Falls, William “Bill” Whittaker, George Whittaker, and Donna Kuzmik, all of Wolverine, and Hazel Whittaker of Ripon, WI.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the Wolverine Free Methodist Church.  The family will visit with friends starting at 1:00 PM.. Please share your memories and personal messages with the family on the guest book below.