Jacqueline "Jackie" DeVillers

Jacqueline “Jackie” Kay DeVillers went to heaven on November 21, 2022, with her devoted parents by her side.  Her Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton on Saturday, November 26, 2022, at 11 am, with visitation 1 hour before. Burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Wahpeton.  Father Dale Lagodinski will officiate.

God blessed our family with Jackie on September 24, 1954, in Milwaukee, WI.  She spent most of her life in Valley City, ND with her family.  She attended the “Open Door Day Activity Center” starting in 1959.  In 2009, Jackie moved with her parents to Wahpeton, ND and attended the “Red River Human Services Day Activity Center”.

Jackie never won any awards or received any accolades during her lifetime, these items were not important to her.  Her family was her greatest reward and the most precious thing in her life.  Everyone she met was a friend for life.  Articulating sur names was difficult, so you were given a “nickname” and it was yours for life.  She would invite you to “come play”, bring your “jammies” and “stay”.  She loved everyone without hesitation, especially children.  She loved all her family and always wanted them to “come home”! 

Jackie was not one for a lot of manual labor, although she did keep her room, all her cherished treasures, well organized and out of reach of all others.  She was, however, a firm believer that her siblings needed to take care of all the indoor and outdoor chores, and she delightfully rejoiced all of that with a well-placed, “ha-ha” as she snuck back to her Lego blocks and sacred penny sorting stash.  Not to worry, her siblings usually found a way to get back at her with a well-timed, “Jackie did it”, whenever something was out of its place at the DeVillers house.

Jackie was always a connoisseur of fine dining.  Meals were always on time and setting the table was the one chore she usually never grumbled about, much.  That is, if the main course included a cheeseburger, french fries, dill pickles, and dessert.  Once a teenager, always a teenager.  Although, she usually never turned down a sit-down all the family together meal no matter what it was, the latter was her favorite go to meal and God help the person that snitched any french fries from her plate.

Jackie’s favorite day of the week was Sunday.  She never missed her beloved “church-church” and was up early each Sunday to pick out her favorite outfit and jewelry to wear.  If God ever made the perfect church “greeter”, it was our Jackie.  No congregation was too large for her to shake every hand and give them a hug if Mom didn’t see.

Christmas was Jackie’s favorite time of the year.  She helped decorate to the best of her abilities, ridicule her siblings’ inability to wrap packages and sit for hours admiring the lights, the decorations, and of course the packages beneath the tree.  Perhaps it was the anticipation of her “family” once again, all in her home, together sharing happiness even for just one day.  She made sure everyone had a package to open, that she opened her packages last and that each Christmas day would last forever.

Jackie gave and taught more to her siblings than she will ever know.  If you did great, she showered you with accolades and made you feel like you conquered the world.  However, if you screwed up, she admonished you with a “no-no”, a quick report to our parents, only to return with a loving hug and always forgiveness.  Whenever you were sad or sick, she was there with a hug, a kiss and a reminder that your family loves you no matter what and life will get better soon.  Jackie was not handicapped in our eyes; she was our sister.  We fought for her, and we protected her.  We fought with her.  Just like we did with and for each other.  She picked on us and we picked on her.  Hey, what are sisters for anyway?  She gave us a perspective on life that few will ever understand.  No matter how bad we have it on our worst day, it is never anything that could compare to what Jackie was handed in life.  So, we thank God every day for giving us Jackie, our loving big sister, who was always on and at our side.  Even in her final moments, she fought for every breath to stay here, with the family she so loved.  Now she is with us in spirit, watching over us and protecting us.

Jackie leaves behind her parents, Dr.” Daddy Pop” Keith DeVillers and “Momma” Joyce (Fredrickson) DeVillers Wahpeton, ND, brother, “Baby Jeff” Jeffrey (Marcia Anderson) DeVillers Fargo, ND, sister-in-law, Debbie DeVillers Perham,  MN, sister, “Buppie” Barbara (Roger) DeVillers-Eckert Dent, MN, Brother, “Boy” Damon (Sandy) DeVillers Wahpeton, ND;  all of her “Babies”, nieces and nephews, Danielle and Nicholas DeVillers, Perham,  MN,  Scott (Amanda) Eckert Fargo, ND, Ashley (Brad) Aschnewitz Fergus Fall, MN,  Megan, Jessica and Cassandra DeVillers  Wahpeton, ND; aunt’s, Karen (Ken) Witt and Harriet DeVillers.   

Jackie was preceded in death by her infant sister, Vicky; her grandparents, Ted and Erma Fredrickson, Phil and Agnes DeVillers; her aunt’s and uncle’s, Gene and Shirley Briss, Karen DeVillers, Kenneth DeVillers, and Otis Hoggarth.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of both Hospice and St Francis, who so graciously helped our Jackie in the last years of her life.   

In lieu of flowers the family would like memorials to be directed to the Open-Door Day Activity Center in Valley City, ND, or a charity of your choice.