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Karen Schmitz Carter
KAREN SCHMITZ CARTER
Hinkley, Calif.
Karen Schmitz Carter of Hinkley, Calif., died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Aug. 27, 2021.
Karen Kay Carter was born on March 4, 1942, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at Mercy Hospital along with her twin Keith Schmitz. She was raised in Iowa where she attended Urbana School, graduating 1960 as Salutatorian of her class. She continued her education at UNI.
She moved to California in 1962 where she met her husband Jerry Carter, and they married on Oct. 16, 1965, at St. Matthews in Cedar Rapids.
She spent all of her married life in southern California, where she and Jerry raised four children, Roger, Tracy, Deb, and Kenny. She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren.
She was active in her church, doing marriage encounter, Eucharistic ministry, bereavement ministry and caring for the elderly. Her talents included cake decorating, knitting, and gardening, especially her roses. Sister reunions were pure joy, filled with many laughs and other things we can't talk about. She always wore a hat and loved dressing up. She never met a stranger; she was a social butterfly and she loved spending time with friends.
Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Ted and Wilma Schmitz; sisters, Mary Anne Carmody and Nancy Schmitz; son-in-law, Bob Wedo; sister-in-law, Sally Schmitz; brothers-in-law, Mike Carmody, Terry Dunham and Jerome Fischer; and nephew, Michael Fischer.
Karen is now an angel in the outfield, for her beloved Angels baseball team.
Survivors include her husband, Jerry, of 55 years; children, Roger Cantu, Tracy Wedo, Deb (Clayton) Redwing and Ken (Penny) Carter; sisters, Judy (Jim) Dolan, Joan (Keith) Zieser and Linda (Terry) Dunham; twin brother, Keith (Nancy) Schmitz; sister-in-law, Susan Fischer; and many nieces and nephews, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Vigil service will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 1, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Urbana.
Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2, followed by a burial at St. Mary's Cemetery. Lunch to follow in the church basement.
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