Karr, Weston 1920-2004

KARR, JOHNSTON, DERAAD

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/18/2009 at 12:11:06

LE MARS, Iowa -- Weston Karr, 83, of Le Mars died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, at a Sioux City hospital.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Presbyterian United Church of Christ with the Rev. Dean Goebel officiating. Interment will be 1:45 p.m. Thursday at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Ireton, Iowa. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today at Carlsen Funeral Home in Le Mars with the family present after 6 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m.

Weston Randall Karr was born Sept. 29, 1920, on the family farm near Ireton, the son of J. Randall and Mary Mae (Johnston) Karr. He graduated from Ireton High School in 1938. He attended the American Institute of Business (AIB) in Des Moines. He later completed courses with La Salle University in Chicago. In 1941 he began working at Hendrie and Bolthoff in Denver.

He was united in marriage to Edna Ione DeRaad on Aug. 29, 1941, in Denver. They returned to Iowa when Weston joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942.

Weston served his country from early 1942 until his honorable discharge in December 1945. During World War II, he served in the CBI Theater-China-Burma-India. Upon his discharge, they returned to Colorado.

They moved to Le Mars in 1946 where they had since made their home. He worked as office manager at Lampert Yards in Le Mars from 1946 to 1948 before joining Plymouth Electric Cooperative in Le Mars. He served as the office manager and general manager for 40 years before retiring in 1987.

He was a longtime member of the Presbyterian United Church of Christ, Le Mars Lion's Club, Elk's Club, Wasmer American Legion Post 241 of Le Mars, where he served as a peer counselor for several years.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Edna of Le Mars; two sons and daughters-in-law, Kendall and Karen of Craig, Iowa, and Douglas and Linda of Petaluma, Calif.; four grandchildren, Kari Van Dam, Kory Karr, John Karr and David Karr; and six great-grandchildren, Emily R., Peter, Tyler, Emily J., Brody and Jaelyn.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and five brothers, Hollis, Leland, Thurlow, Lyman and Kenyon Karr.

Pallbearers will be John Karr, Leah Karr, Kari Van Dam, Rich Van Dam, Kory Karr, Lisa Ludwigs, David Karr and Angie Scharff.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal, Aug. 25, 2004; part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection