Delores Joan Dee Karmann, 82, of rural Yates Center, passed away Friday night, March 29, 2019, at her home.
Dee was born Aug. 31, 1936, in Abilene, the daughter of Robert Bryan and Ellen Marie (King) Curran. She spent her childhood in Abilene and graduated from Abilene High School.
On June 3, 1961, she and Cline Karmann were married in Junction City. They made their home in Milford, before moving to their farm northeast of Yates Center in 1962.
Besides raising her family and caring for her home, Dee was a farm wife, driving trucks, hauling grain, mowing hay, and all of the many other things farm wives did in that era. She was a 4-H leader when her children were young and later was employed at Autumn Manor Nursing Home in Yates Center. She then became a Home Care Aide first for the State of Kansas and then for a number of years for Allen County Home Health until retiring. She was an avid gardener, loved caring for her flowers, and enjoyed crocheting and bowling. Her greatest passion was enjoying her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two grandsons, Joshua and Jacob Smith in 2009; her twin brother, Duane Curran; twin siblings, Mary Lou Freeman and Marvin Curran; brothers, Robert and Harold Curran; and her sister, Dorothy Derrick.
She leaves Cline, her husband of more than 57 years; her children, Danny Karmann (Donneta) of Yates Center, Denise Smith (Robert) of Piqua, Lori Fink (Dennis) of Fruita, Colo., and Kevin Karmann (Carol) of Yates Center; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Delmar Curran (Rosella) of Abilene; numerous nieces and nephews; many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Campbell Funeral Home in Yates Center. Burial will follow in Yates Center Cemetery.
The family will meet with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Campbell Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Friends For Life and may be sent in care of Campbell Funeral Home, PO Box 188, Yates Center, KS 66783.
