Friends and Neighbors: Deb Fiehtner

Deb (Sanders) Fiehtner had no idea that someday, as an adult, she would spend more time working at the Kimball Dairy Queen than she ever did as a teenager.

A Kimball graduate of the Class of 1980, Deb was born and grew up here, her parents are Delbert and Peggy Sanders and her brother Danny lives in Greeley with his wife Sheri.

While in high school, in the late 70s, Deb enjoyed spending time with her fellow cheerleaders Melanie Johnson, Shari Bauer, Jean Koenig, Peri Benstead, Maggie Biggs and the late Robin Sowerwine. When she wasn't cheering at a game or in class, she worked for Ira and Ruth Blakesly longtime owners of the Dairy Queen.

Remembering what it was like to work at DQ when she was in high school, Deb said that there wasn't a cash register like she has today, at that time there was just a drawer. Everyone who worked there had to be able to add everything up in their heads, take the money and count back change.

Kimball's Dairy Queen is not only one of few places to eat in town, but it is practically a landmark. Deb bought the DQ, local's favorite ice cream stop and home of the Hickory burger, in December of 2001, and reopened the doors for the first time in February of 2002.

Deb, children from her first marriage Stephanie and Kyle Bartles, second husband Jeff Fiehtner and their daughter, Jannel, all worked at the DQ at various times over the years, until selling it on contract to a couple from Colorado last year.

That sale eventually fell through and the Fiehtner's are once again running the shop, bringing with them the original recipe for the Hickory burger that was handed down from Mr. Blakesly.

Many customers will be happy to hear that open hours will again run as late as 10 p.m. this summer.

Although Deb and Jeff enjoy owning the DQ, Deb says it is a much more time consuming job than people realize. She goes into work around 8:30 every morning and often stays hours after closing, which in the summer will mean as late as 11:30 p.m. But, she just couldn't imagine Kimball without it, she said, "The town needs it."

Her husband Jeff is a big help, she added, not only does he help cook, but he's her maintenance man too.

One of the reasons she spends so much time at work is because she insists on making the hickory meat fresh everyday using Blakesly's original recipe instead of using a frozen mix or changing the sauce as was noticed by many locals this time last year.

Now, when Deb isn't serving cool treats at one of Kimball's hot spots, she spends time with family. Her daughter, Jannel, a senior in high school; her son Kyle and his wife Kassey are teachers in Woodbine, Iowa and are the parents of Olivia and Knox and Deb's daughter Stefanie – the Observer's own ad rep and Stefanie's son, Luke.