Karen Stanley Meinershagen

Karen Stanley Meinershagen, 63, passed away suddenly in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2013. Karen was born March 3, 1949, as the second child to Hugh Warren Stanley and Trudy Bishop Stanley, who preceded her in death, along with a brother, David Warren, and a sister, Linda Slane. She graduated from Putman City High School in Bethany, Okla., in 1967.

Karen was a 39-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Grand Chapter of Texas. She enjoyed card making, beading and collecting recipes to pass on to her children's families, and the pride and joy of Karen's life was always her children. In her spare time, Karen enjoyed scrapbooking pictures and mementos of the lives of her children and grandchildren and never used the term in-law when referring to her daughters, loving them as her own.

Karen is survived by her husband of 43 years, Lynn, of Nevada, Mo.; sons, Stephen and wife, Mary, Jason and wife, Judy, David and wife, Naomi, and Derek; along with her 12 grandchildren, Dustin Erik, Daniel Webster, Cherokee Nicole, Cheyenne Marie, Stephanie Dawn, Atlantis Fiona, Tru Danielle, Noah Warren, Nathaniel Edward, Caleb Ethan, Barak Carl Lynn and Shane Isaac; brother Phillip Lee and wife, Schellon, of Oklahoma City, Okla.; sister, Jean Stanley Krempin and husband, Charles, of Hamilton, Texas; brother, Robert Micheal and wife, Julia, of Hamilton, Texas; aunt, Joanne Lang of George West, Texas; cousin, Debbie Pawlik of George West, Texas; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Visitation will be held Thursday, Jan. 10, from 6 -8 p.m., with a memorial service to be held on Friday, Jan. 11, from 9 -10 a.m. Both will be held at First Baptist Church located at 301 E. Highland Ave, Nevada. Interment will be held on Friday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m., at Fort Leonard Wood-Missouri Veterans Cemetery, located at 25350 Hwy H, Waynesville, Mo., 65583.

In lieu of flowers, donations be made to Autism Speaks, whose mission of autism awareness, fundraising, research and advocacy is one that touched Karen's heart. Donations to Autism Speaks in memory of Karen may be made by visiting their Web site www.autismspeaks.org and clicking the "Ways to Give" link.