Karen Christine Parr was born January 30, 1940 in Stockton and went home to be with her Heavenly Father on November 4, 2020.

Karen was the second child and oldest girl of five children born to Paul and Gretta Larsen. Her family lived on a ranch north of Stockton until they moved to Manteca just before her father’s death when she was 9. Karen skipped two grades in school and during high school she played piano for the Key Notes, a brass trio who traveled the U.S. One of the members of that trio was Bob Parr. Their families became friends, with Karen’s brothers becoming very close with Bob.

At the age of 16 Karen graduated from Manteca high and got a scholarship to UC Berkeley. She started college, and one day Bob, who had joined the Navy, stopped to see her after a visit home. He was smitten from the instant he saw her, not as the sweet sister of his friends but as a beautiful woman. They were married on June 15, 1958.

On March 12, 1959 they welcomed their first child and rapidly grew their family while moving constantly. They bought their first home in Hawkinsville and lived there until Bob was transferred with his company to Eureka in 1967. They bought 2 1/2 acres in Fieldbrook, had two more children, moved to Manteca for two years to care for Bob’s mom, and moved back to Fieldbrook.

They made lifelong friends and had great adventures in Fieldbrook. Over the years gardening, canning, raising livestock for milk, eggs, and food, sewing, playing piano for church and every other function, volunteering, writing, and adding two nephews and their friends and families to the mix kept Karen very busy.

In 1977 Karen moved to Arcata and the Fieldbrook home was sold. She got a job with Simpson at the plywood plant, pulling green chain. The next year she and Bob bought the E Street house that would be home for the next 29 years. The door and their hearts were always open. Kids and grandkids, their friends and many others remember the E St house and many memories were made there.

Karen worked with Bob at the Open Hearth Stove Shop and Country Wood Stoves. Later she worked in the office at Arcata First Baptist and for One Way Christian Book Store. When Bob was diagnosed with dementia she became his constant companion. During this time she was diagnosed with Neuroendicrine Tumor or Carcenoid Syndrom, a rare form of cancer. Living with the pain of a poorly done surgery and the cancer, for which there is only treatment to slow it down and no cure, she continued to live her life to the fullest extent possible. She fought this battle for almost 15 years with amazing perseverance.

She was a loving wife, mom, gramma, great-gramma, aunt, cousin and friend who loved every person she came into contact with. She was smart, talented, and loved Jesus. Her greatest desire was that everyone would have the relationship and assurance of Heaven that she had.

Karen is preceded in death by her husband Bob, her son Timothy, her brother David, and her sister Mary. She is survived by her sister Martha and her brother John, her sons, Geoffrey (Gina), Stephen (Lisa), and Jonathan (Laura) and her daughter’s, Kathryn (Chris) and Janet (Bruce), so many grandchildren and their children, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends, all of whom she loved deeply.

Karen will be laid to rest on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Greenwood Cemetary in Arcata. Donations in her honor can be made at this link.

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