A live stream of the service can be found at: https://youtu.be/EJ7LR8mAo50

When Chammelia Deborah Adams bounced into life in Temple, Texas on August 9, 1949, she quickly embarked on her major life's work as a caregiver. As a toddler she could be found cuddling puppies and in early youth she was working in the dog hospital beside her father, Dr. Adams, who was a veterinarian in El Paso, Texas. There she raised dozens of puppies, rode donkeys and horses, learned to shoot rabbits and snakes, and kept a pet spider monkey while living in the vast desert of West Texas.

In 1964 her parents moved to Hunt, Texas and Debbie and her sisters played in the Guadalupe River and washed in a bucket in the simple stone home on a rocky hill. From her association with a schoolmate, her sister Arsia was instrumental in their introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormon Missionaries that taught the family brought joy and sunshine to their home, and the family described it as full of tender moments as they laughed and shared lessons and treats together. Thereafter, Debbie and Arsia, attended the LDS Church.

Debbie attended BYU with a major in foreign language and there she met her life partner, Robert Ahlborn. The two love birds married and moved shortly thereafter to support Robert training for the Vietnam War. Healthy living and family were central interests to the couple.

Geology work took them to Provo, UT, Midland Tx, New Orleans, LA and Debbie engaged in sports, and encouraged everyone around her to join in. She loved activity and exercised daily: running, racquetball, and volleyball stand out as some of Debbie's everyday favorites. When opportunities arose to expand her list of adventures, Debbie never hesitated, she was vivacious, she had an incredible appetite for life. She craved adventure and years of caregiving did not dampen her desire to attempt everything in her reach, so she snorkeled and zipplined fearlessly. At age 45 she strapped on the skis and plowed down the mountain. She drank in the wonder of life with energy, confidence, and strength.

Debbie was so busy with adventures, you might wonder if there was any time left for work, and there certainly was. Hard work was a deep core value for Debbie, forged during the long hours of childhood and steeled in the fires of adversity.

Worker

Deborah is a Hebrew word meaning "bee," and, like bee, she was an industrious worker, she was able to complete seemingly impossible tasks- she didn't waste a moment thinking something was impossible! If the cause was worthy, Debbie would rally her children and find a solution with unmatched vigor- and, of course, she ardently admired beautiful, flowering landscapes.

She loved transforming a bleak yard into an astounding garden. Armed with a shovel and a pruner, her children recall how she shaped the landscape with her troops in tow. With the flower beds labeled from A-Z she commanded her forces and vowed to tame the Houston overgrowth. She shared her thoughts about the work, that she viewed her efforts to expunge the invading weeds and trim up the shrubbery as a powerful metaphor of the universal battles of good and evil. When we pulled weeds, we were eradicating iniquity from the planet, while shaping the trees became synonymous with shaping our souls.

Shaping trees, shaping souls, shaping minds…. Debbie did it all. Teaching was a passion for Debbie, and she had a penchant for presenting material in memorable object lessons that involved her students. No doubt driven by the memories of the cheery lessons she received in Mormon doctrine, Debbie strove to impact youth as positively as she was. What started as a tremendous challenge for her in acquiring sound doctrinal knowledge as a convert to Mormonism developed into a strength as she learned the gospel and embraced the extra efforts to become a scriptorian who led her students to many championships in scripture chase competitions.

Whenever teaching primary or Sunday school, she volunteered for the most challenging students. Legend speaks of her accepting a classroom of delinquents who climbed out of windows and displayed raucous behavior, but within 2 weeks of her influence, these rascals became the model of reverence. She used the excitement of stories brought to life and shared essentials with her students. They sensed her genuine candor and responded with impressive reversals in behavior. Debbie won the love and loyalty of all the naughty children that were coaxed into her projects of harder work and more rewarding experiences.

Naturally, Debbie taught her own children as well. Debbie engaged them in the same cooking, baking, cleaning, remodeling activities that filled her agenda. She started motherhood as a novice but soon developed strong opinions on child-rearing, stating that, "there were only two things you need to teach, the gospel and how to work. But, if you can only teach one, teach work, and then if your kids come to the gospel later at least they will be worth something in building the kingdom of God."

Nary an idle moment slipped into Debbie's life. She accomplished so much in her 72 years.

She loved language and she often spontaneously sparred in debate with any who would entertain her. If her children had a school project or a complex paper to write she insisted on getting involved to edit and embellish the work. Indeed, her children can testify of the unintelligible scribbles mixed with her feedback on papers that she edited while falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Planning amazing impactful Youth Conferences and directing Activities for the community became some of her most memorable moments. Her children recall sitting at the table with Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar, author Blaine Yorgesen and many other inspirational figures.

Smiling and as I searched through boxes of pictures and memorabilia I came across a letter written by Robert's mother shortly after he went to VietNam and Debbie went to live at the home of Robert's parents in Tridell Utah. The letter was written to Robert, as his mother observed the young mother Debbie Adams Ahlborn, adapting to life with her husband gone to war. As she remarks on Debbie's many talents, she comments on how impressed she is with Debbie's "unfailing cheerfulness."

Enthusiast

Debbie's infectious enthusiasm and energy carried her through many of life's trials. The oil bust years in Houston were met with courage and ingenuity, as Debbie started as many family business ventures as possible. The ones that continued to thrive during the nine years of unemployment were the swimming lessons, throwing flyers and cleaning buildings. But she also made headway in many multilevel companies includes NSA water filters, NuSkin, Amway, Melaleuca and a host of nutritional drinks and supplements. She was ever the optimist and continued to support her husband's career, with support for international consulting to Russia and China most flattering to Robert's resume.

She adored the missionaries and often had them over for meals, service projects and exercise efforts. Young people in general seemed to energize Debbie and she taught them all her favorite skills, insisted on getting them free access into the YMCA where she beat them all in racquetball.

Debbie often turned misfortune into growth. For instance, when her third pregnancy delivered as an emergency c-section, this catastrophe led her to a new code of health as she became close friends with her physician and trained in his nutrition program with the 7th day Adventists. The word of wisdom had extra parameters in Debbie's home as she learned about eating pulses, growing sprouts, grinding wheat to bake bread, selecting only natural nuts and nut butters. She was such an enthusiast she opened her own health store in a garage in Midland, Texas, teaching others what she learned and doing her best to eradicate our diets of white flour, white sugar, white rice and white pasta and select natural plant-based foods. She was so convincing that many of her posterity adopted the health code and prefer the natural options of their childhood long before the national fad started.

Her enthusiasm extended to adventure. Her children and grandchildren recall how she straddled her legs over them and taught them to ski in the most back-breaking determined way possible.

Enthusiasm and energy and two of her most identifying traits, and all who knew her were impressed with the sense of power she instilled into her efforts. She was spontaneous and joyful in her work and the lines between work and play blurred. It was not uncommon to find her singing in the kitchen, which always meant she was also dancing. It's easy to recall her bursting out with "O What a Beautiful Morning" or songs from the musical Annie, or the silliness of "That song is a-driving me crazy, I gotta hear it again." Debbie had the confidence of a conqueror and a flare for the dramatic, so it is no wonder that all felt her energy pulsing through a project from start to finish

It is fitting that she asked to gather her children to her side and spend the last lucid days home enjoying the tulips, and singing on the porch. She spent 9 valiant months fighting, and when the time came was determined to leave this world with the people and things she loved surrounding her. She Broke free from the chains of mortality on May 4, 2022 at 11:03 CMT, and now lives in the legend and the legacy of her caregiving, enthusiasm and work ethic.

Preceded in death by both parents and half-sister Patricia Adams Herrera; survived by half-brother Jose B. Adams-Herrera and sisters Ahulia Arsia Adams and Julia Ann Adams. Survived by husband Robert C. Ahlborn, her 7 daughters: and 4 sons: and 47 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 10:00 AM in the Canterbury Chapel located at 6722 West 10400 North, Highland, Utah.  Family and friends may call Friday, May 13, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the church and from 8:30 to 9:30 AM prior to the service on Saturday morning.  Interment, Highland City Cemetery.

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