Deetta Lee Cameron

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of DeEtta Lee Cameron, Age 61, of Des Moines, Iowa. DeEtta was called home on September 10th, 2024. Memorial services will be held at 11 am on September 20th at Revival Center Church of God in Christ.

DeEtta was born February 26th, 1963, in Des Moines, Iowa, the daughter of Jacqueline Frances Burkett and Ennis Lee Harris Jr. She was a natural-born leader, some might say bossy, and she made sure to keep her siblings, Denise and DeRonn, in line. Growing up, DeEtta attended Mt. Olive Baptist Church where she directed the choir. She graduated from East High School in 1979. Such a beautiful person inside and out, DeEtta went on to win the 1979 Gateway Pageant. After high school she attended AIB College of Business, earning an Associate's degree in Computer Science. She joined the United States Navy in 1980 and served her community as a Central Dispatcher for the Cheraw Police Department in South Carolina.

When she rejoined her family in Iowa, DeEtta lived and worked on the east side of Des Moines. She took call center and warehouse positions to care for her two growing children, Alysshia Renee Miller, and Robert Lee Miller III. She worked hard as a single mother and with the help of her sister Denise made sure her kids never went without. DeEtta was a generous soul, who loved to cook, and never turned a kid away who wanted to stay for dinner. She became known around the neighborhood as "Mama Dee."

DeEtta's family grew when she met James DeWitt Cameron in 1998. James and his three children, Whitney Marie Cameron, Jami Deanna Cameron, and Skylar James Cameron completed the idea of family DeEtta was looking for. DeEtta and James eventually moved to the southside and married on October 28th, 2002. Together they tackled all the ups and downs a combined family holds, putting love above all else.

DeEtta will be remembered as a fighter; known for her resilience and strength. DeEtta was a survivor of breast cancer and despite her ongoing medical challenges, continued to support others both personally as a dear friend and family member and professionally with her jobs at Behavioral Technologies and Unity Point - Methodist Hospital.

DeEtta enjoyed fishing and her favorite way to spend an evening was crocheting and watching her crime shows – She could knit you a hat and tell you who the killer was by first commercial. She loved to dance to Motown classics and if she had the right pink outfit, you couldn't tell her nothing. She was the first person you called whether you needed to cry or have a good laugh and the last person to complain. DeEtta will be missed by every heart she touched.

Remaining to cherish DeEtta's memory are her husband, James Cameron; children, Alysshia Miller, Robert Miller III, Whitney Cameron, Jami (Drew) Atkins, & Skylar Cameron; sister, Denise (Lava) Harris-Johnson; 11 grandchildren, and a host of extended family and friends.

Preceding DeEtta in death are her parents, Jacqueline and Ennis Harris, Jr.; her brothers, Dennis and DeRonn Harris; grandparents, Ennis Sr and Pinky Lee Harris, John C Burkett Sr, and Leona Burkett. complete obituary.