Therese Hester (DeBot) Vaughn

Therese Hester (DeBot) Vaughn, 95, a lifelong Duluthian, died January 1st, 2026, faithful to the values of rootedness, intellectual inquiry, and political activism.

Therese grew up in Duluth’s Central Hillside. To her last days, she loved taking rides by her childhood home. As a young adult, she completed an LPN curriculum through St. Mary’s Hospital, then worked as a pediatric nurse at St. Mary’s until 1970. Therese also maintained lifelong connections with her paternal and maternal relatives, taking yearly trips to Wausaukee and Kewaunee, Wisconsin, to share both family history and recent developments, a time to which she looked forward each year.

Therese read and learned about many different topics, mindfully filling her home with clippings, articles, pamphlets, newspapers and books. On occasion, her educated curiosity drew the attention of others. Former governor Al Quie appointed Therese to the Minnesota Board of Architecture from 1979 to 1983 due, in part, to her acquired knowledge of Duluth’s residential historic architecture, which she appreciated and studied. Her years of avocational birding and tree care resulted in two appointments by Mayor Gary Doty to the City of Duluth Tree Commission from 2001 to 2006. During her time of service, she offered citizen input regarding tree placement along Skyline Parkway and helped envision plans for the implementation of shoreline vegetation management procedures along Scenic Hwy. 61, among other projects.

Anyone who knew Therese quickly learned that she was politically active. Conservative and Republican, Therese maintained a life-long, serious interest in the political affairs of her times, uninhibited about sharing her informed opinions with others. For decades, Therese was always a Republican convention delegate at local and state conventions. She also was a delegate to two national conventions. Off the convention floor, Therese served in many party offices from precinct caucus convener to Eighth Congressional District Chairwoman. Therese worked very hard on issues she cared about, and for candidates in whom she believed. On occasion, she earned recognition for her contributions. She received an engraved invitation to Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural ball. In 2005, she accepted two awards. One was the Tribute to Women Award, given by the Minnesota Federation of Republican Women for her work with their local chapter, the Duluth Republican Women. Another came from former governor Tim Pawlenty who recognized her with a certificate of commendation for, “advancing the participation of women in all areas of our political system.” Therese’s local delegate status and membership in the Duluth Republican Women were both active at the time of her death.

Therese’s most important concern during her time in politics was advocating for the sanctity of human life. Her dedication to that cause, despite many legislative and political defeats during her time, evoked loyal admiration from her allies and, at times, discreet comments of respect from her opponents. Like with her other interests, Therese kept a significant number of her letters to and from nationally known activists and government figures as well as a general household cache of bulletins, booklets, leaflets, flyers and brochures. Friends of Therese, realizing the historical value of what they saw, submitted some of her collected materials to the Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s Schlesinger Library History of Women in America archive. Accepted by the library, the memorabilia is now designated under her name within the research collection entitled Reproduction, Family Planning and the Debate Over Abortion.

Therese’s first husband, Robert Dillon, of Lakeside, with whom she had a daughter, Barbara, died in a car accident in the winter of 1967. After Robert’s death, Therese met John Vaughn, of Superior, whom she married in 1970. They had a son, Thomas.

Therese was preceded in death by her parents, Frank Louis DeBot and Mabel (Chapman) DeBot, a sister, Mildred (DeBot) Klein, and a brother, Frank L. Jr.

Therese is survived by a sister, Rilla (DeBot) Opelt, of Duluth. She is also survived by her children, Barbara (George) Dodge of Manassas, Virginia, and Thomas, of Duluth; two grandchildren, Damien (Christy) Dodge, of Manassas, Virginia, and Madre Therese Dodge, rscj, of Florence, Italy, and six great-grandchildren, Phillip, Peter, Kateri, Maria, Elena and Paul.

An evening visitation will be held at Dougherty Funeral Home on Friday, January 16th, from 4 – 7 p.m. The Rosary will be prayed at 6 p.m. On Saturday, January 17th, an afternoon visitation will start at 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home, 600 E 2nd St, Duluth MN 55805, 218-727-3555. Please visit www.dfhduluth.com to sign the online guestbook.

The Mass will be live streamed on the Cathedral's Web page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqiIvURaOqDpFtm-i28G3w

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Friends of the Sacred Heart of Florence are encouraged. Donations may be sent by mail to 8089 Mary Jane Drive Manassas, VA 20112 or offered online at http://FriendsOfTheSacredHeart.org/donate.html.