Deppe, Karla Kae Russell – 1947-2017

ANDERSON, DEPPE, GOEKE, GRAY, MASTERSON, MINENGA, RUSSELL, SAWYER

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:27

Karla Kae Deppe, 69, of Grinnell, died on Monday, April 17, 2017, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell.
Funeral services were Friday, April 21, 2017, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Rev. John Epperson, Grinnell Regional Hospice Chaplain, officiating. Burial was in Rock Creek Cemetery, near Grinnell.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Grinnell Regional Hospice.
Karla was born May 28, 1947, in Newton, the daughter of Richard and Florence Anderson Russell. She was raised in the Reasoner area and was later a 1965 graduate of Monroe High School. She then received her associate's degree at AIB in Des Moines. In 1971, she was united in marriage with Gerald Deppe. From that union were two sons, (Leif) Eric and Shannon and one step-son, Joe.
Karla was employed as a legal secretary for several law firms and finished her career at Grinnell Regional Medical Center as a secretary. She knew the value of hard work and was very proficient with her duties. She often worked two jobs to help provide for her family. Through her adult years, she was a resident of Newton, Kellogg, Grinnell, and Tucson, Arizona. She returned to Grinnell after the birth of her first grandchild.
She was a member of the Grinnell Christian Church. She held a passion for the theatre, enjoyed acting and serving on the Grinnell Community Theatre Board. She was a former Cub Scout den mother.
She is survived by her two sons, Eric (Mindy) Deppe and Shannon Deppe of Grinnell; her step-son, Joe (Leslie) Sawyer of Carlisle; three grandchildren, Mariah and Logan Deppe and A.J. Sawyer; one great-granddaughter, Rhylee Sawyer; three brothers, Reggie Gray of Newton, Mike Minenga of Omaha, Nebraska, and Gary Russell of Newton, and two sisters, Cathy Masterson of Monroe and Gloria Goeke of Grinnell.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Steve Minenga.
Source: Monroe (IA) Legacy; Thursday, April 27, 2017, page 3