Edris Marlene Decker

Edris Marlene Decker, 44, of Lincoln, passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Lincoln. She was born on September 6, 1980, in Lee's Summit, Missouri, the daughter of Derrald Dean Decker and Jan Marilyn (Adair) Decker. Edris grew up in Warsaw, where she enjoyed boating, swimming, fishing, and spending time with her siblings and friends. From a young age, she cherished being on the water with her mom and dad. Around age 13, her family moved to Tunas, where she attended Buffalo High School. Later, she relocated to Puxico and joined the Job Corps alongside her sister, Annette. There, she earned her CNA and Hospitality Maintenance certificates. It was also during this time she met Chris Gifford. They married on April 26, 2003, and were blessed with two daughters, Courteney and Christina. The family made their home in Bernie, where Edris worked at Ames True Timber Manufacturing, making hammer handles. After Chris's passing in 2005, she returned to Tunas to be near her mother, father, and siblings, and raise her daughters as a single mother. In 2009, she and her girls moved to Lincoln. She worked at Bullseye and continued raising her daughters with the help and love of her family. During this time of her life she spent a lot of time with her mother, two girls, siblings, and her nieces and nephews - doing whatever came to mind. Edris and Ronnie Ford became one on July 2, 2013, and together they welcomed a daughter, Marlyn Ford. Through this union, she also lovingly embraced four more children, Dylan Ford, Keean Reed, Roni Ford, and Neveah Cox. She especially loved being with her children, grandchildren, and grandpuppies. If she wasn't surrounded by family, she could often be found near the water-fishing, kayaking, or tending to her flower beds. Fishing was one of her favorite hobbies, in June of 2025, she proudly caught her personal best catfish weighing 45 pounds. She would spend days to weeks in the springtime making sure that her flower beds were everything she wanted them to be - even if she had to drag giant rocks out of the creek bed, or off of the side of the road to get them that way. Her girls knew that when the headphones went in and the weed eater started, the backyard concert was about to begin. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she turned her home into a festive wonderland from the months of October through January and sometimes even into February. She had a talent for making people feel welcome-hosting countless family dinners and celebrations. Whether it was a birthday, holiday, or just a "come eat and be loved" day, her home was always open to everyone. Edris had a one-of-a-kind heart - larger than life and open to all. Edris brought joy wherever she went, often through her sharp sense of humor and infectious laugh. She had a gift for humor, love, and making every person feel like family-greeting everyone at her door with a hug, a joke, a plate of food, or all three. Her memory will live on in the laughter, stories, and love she gave so freely.
She is survived by her mother, Jan Decker of Lincoln; seven children, Courteney Gifford and Garrett Knox of Lincoln, Christina Gifford of Lincoln, Marlyn Ford of Lincoln, Roni Ford of Warsaw, Dylan and Christina Ford of Eldorado, Keean Reed of Eldorado, and Neveah Cox of Odessa; five sisters, Kimberly and Bill Vanhoye of Lincoln, Tracy and Wade Matthews of Lebanon, Delphia and Jason Wylie of Lane, Kansas, Deanna Williams of Windsor, and Annette Decker of Lincoln; two brothers, Derrald Decker of Lebanon and John Decker of Lincoln; five grandchildren, Tairrence Meroney, Lunari Meroney, Kylie Murphy, Carter Ford, and Dylan Ford, Jr.; two grandpuppies, Kane and Bailey; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Derrald Decker; her first husband, Chris Gifford; her grandfather, Charlie Hogue; her great-grandmother, Lola Carpenter; and her uncle, Earl Adair. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at Ozark Tabernacle Church, 27497 Highway AE, Cole Camp, with memorial services to begin at 2:00 p.m. A celebration of Edris's life will follow from 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. at the Jaycee House in Cole Camp.