Debra Kay Hopkins, 71, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.

Debra was born on April 17, 1955, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in Wannaska, Minnesota. She married Mitchell Berger, and together they welcomed three children: Matthew, Kristen, and Mark. In the mid-1980s, Debra and the children moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota.

She first worked at Casual Corner in the Columbia Mall, but soon found her calling as an insurance agent with American Family Insurance. Over 30 years she touched the lives of countless people across the Grand Forks area. She guided them through some of the hardest moments of their lives with steady hands and a caring heart, and she retired from American Family in 2017.

Debra was a natural teacher and speaker, and she loved sharing her talents with others. She held a room the moment she walked into it, and she always seemed to have the right words when no one else knew what to say. She loved to sing, though very few people were ever lucky enough to hear her.

Gardening was one of her great passions. For many years, her yard in East Grand Forks was a showpiece that neighbors and passersby admired. In retirement she gave herself to learning, reading and studying anything she could find. To her, learning was a joy, and she never stopped feeding her curiosity.

Above all, Debra had a soft heart for anyone in need. She kept extra hats and mittens in her vehicle so she could hand them to anyone who looked like they could use a little warmth. She opened her home to people who had nowhere else to go. Everyone who crossed her path felt her generosity.

Debra is survived by her mother, Kay Hopkins; her children, Matthew Berger (Venche), Kristen Crumby (Steven), and Mark Berger (Aimee); her grandchildren, Aliyah, Tylor, Trevor, Hannah, Madalyn, Bella, Mitchell, and Aedan; her brother, Edmund Hopkins (Sue); the father of her children, Mitchell Berger; and her husband Robert Warnke.

She was preceded in death by her father, John Hopkins, and her brothers, John Mark Hopkins and Donald Wayne Hopkins.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: 12:00 PM, Saturday, October 31, 2026 at Dahl Funeral Home, 2029 Central Ave. NW, East Grand Forks, MN 56721.

VISITATION: One hour prior to the service also at Dahl Funeral Home on Saturday.