Deborah Alice Goins, 71, of Cleveland, Tennessee

Deborah Alice Goins, 71, of Cleveland, Tennessee, entered into the presence of her Savior on May 16, 2026. She will be remembered as a Proverbs 31 wife, a loving mother, a grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was born on December 9, 1954, in Escanaba and raised in Stevenson, in the upper peninsula of Michigan. She married Ken Goins on November 4, 1972, and faithfully loved and served him for 47 years until his death on June 4, 2020. The two shared a love for pets and enjoyed aquariums, birds, dogs, and wildlife throughout their lives.

A devoted follower of Christ, a gifted seamstress, and an organized office manager, she touched so many lives through her work and intercessory prayer for others. She had a passion for learning and was always making her way through 2-3 books simultaneously. She was known for her kindness and generosity towards others, taking time each year to send cards and letters to friends near and far in her beautiful, elegant handwriting. Friends and family remember her for her devotion to God and her eagerness to tell others of His work in her life. If you knew her for any length of time at all, you learned about how God saved her and led her throughout her lifetime. Even in her final days, when she was too weak to talk, she would muster the strength to lift her hands in praise to God. One of the verses she quoted often and taught to her children and grandchildren was Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

She is survived by two children: Brenda Miracle (Steven), Sheila Tarwater (John); 12 grandchildren: Brianna Hopkins, Bethany Hopkins, Joshua Tarwater (Wesley), Benjamin Tarwater (Madeline), John Mark Tarwater (Sarah), Abigail Tarwater, Rachel Entz (David), David Tarwater, Hannah Tarwater, Stephen Tarwater, Lydia Tarwater, and Rebekah Tarwater; great grandchildren; siblings; and other loving relatives and friends.

The family will receive friends 11 am until 12 noon Tuesday, May, 19 at Cross Smith Funeral Home with Funeral Service to follow at 12 noon in Cross Smith Chapel. Rev. William Robinson officiating. Interment to follow in Campbell Memorial Gardens.

Condolences may be given online for the the family of Deborah Alice Goins at http://www.cross-smithfuneralhome.com .

Arrangements made by Cross-Smith Funeral Home.