SHIRLEY SUE SICKELS KARR
Shirley Sue (Sickels) Karr was born July 25, 1936 in rural Ringgold County, Iowa to Rex and Mildred Lavon (Wherle) Sickels. Shirley passed away peacefully with family by her side at Clearview Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa on April 29, 2014.
Shirley started school in Delphos, later moving north of Mount Ayr and attended Walnut Valley country school from second to eighth grade. She graduated from Mount Ayr high school in 1955.
Shirley moved to Denver, Colorado with her sister, Dorothy (Sickels) Mosier. Shirley worked at May DNF, a large department store.
Shirley married Bill Roberts in 1955 in Denver, Colorado. They moved to California where Shirley worked at an insurance company before a child was brought to this union. Geraldine (Gerry) Lee Roberts was born July 22, 1957. The family moved to Wilcox, Arkansas in the fall of 1957. A son, Johnny Ray Roberts, was born on May 17, 1958. Shirley divorced Bill Roberts at Colorado in 1961.
Shirley, Gerry and Johnny moved back to Mount Ayr and lived with Shirley’s parents. Shirley started working at the Shamrock Café in Mount Ayr and worked at a sandwich shop that was owned by Bernard and Leta Sullivan.
While working at the Shamrock Café she met Corwin Karr, Sr. They married February 21, 1965 at the Christian church in Grant City, Missouri and lived at Baker’s Ville for about one year. They moved to Mount Ayr in a little house where Heritage Park is now located. To this union were born three children, Leland Eugene Karr born July 11, 1965 in the Decatur County Hospital in Leon, Iowa, Valerie Kay (Karr) Fletchall born May 4, 1968 at the Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr and Danny Dean Karr born May 10, 1969 in Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr.
Corwin, Shirley, Gerry, Johnny, Gene, Valerie and Danny all moved in the fall of 1969 to Caledonia, located south of Mount Ayr. Shirley was a homemaker until the children started school. She got a job at the Cap Factory. Then later in life she did mending and sewing in her home. After Corwin’s death in 2006, Shirley stayed on the farm and then moved to town in an apartment and later Heritage Park in 2011 until her health made it so she had to go to Clearview Home in 2012.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Corwin Karr, Sr; sister, Dorothy (Dick) Mosier of Colorado; brothers, Leland Sickels of Missouri and Sam Sickels of Mount Ayr, Iowa; a sister, Belle (Bob) Guthland of Grain Valley, Missouri; a nephew, David Guthland; a niece, Valerie Mosier; stepgranddaughter, LaDonna Karr; grandson, Johnny Roberts, Jr; daughter-in-law, Rosemary Roberts, and a stepson-in-law, Boyd Pickering.
Those left to mourn her passing include her children, Gerry and Ross King of Mount Ayr, Iowa, John Roberts of Coffee, Missouri, Gene and Janice Karr of Union Star, Missouri, Valerie and Randy Longstreath of Mount Ayr, Iowa and Danny and Brenda Karr of Mount Ayr, Iowa; three stepchildren, Corwin Karr, Jr. and friend Elaine McCampbell of Mount Ayr, Iowa, Charletta Pickering of Grant City, Missouri and Randy Karr of Colorado; brother, John (Juanita) Sickels of Mount Ayr, Iowa; sister-in-law, Evelyn Sickels of Mount Ayr, Iowa; sister-in-law, Marilyn Sickels of Missouri; Kay (Clifford) Mosier of Littleton, Colorado; Martha (Robbie) Palmer of Decatur, Illinois; 14 grandchildren, seven stepgrandchildren; 12 stepgreat- grandchildren; a few stepgreat-great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. A memorial fund has been established in her name to be decided later.
Services were conducted at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Saturday, May 3, 2014, with Pastor Barton Shields officiating. Soloist was Sue Beck.
Casket bearers included Mike King, Jamie King, Ryan King, Joey King, Jodie Sue Clair, Katie Sue Karr, Karissa Sue Karr and Nathan Fletchall.
Honorary pallbearers were Nicki Karr, Courtney Karr, C.J. Karr, Holly Karr, Lisa King and Jamee King.
Burial was in the Hickory Grove Cemetery in Mount Ayr.
