Karen Rosalee Oester Chapman, R.N. ended her trip down the slippery slope of dementia on Friday February 21 at Henry County Health Center. She was 85. Karen was born on the “real” Memorial Day (May 30) in 1939 in Elk Lick Township, Pennsylvania. The Township is in southern Somerset County and also is the home of Mount Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania, named for her maternal Great-Grandfather, Civil War Veteran John Nelson Davis.
A 1957 graduate of Somerset High School, she graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 1960. Early the following year Karen wed George Chapman, who she had met while a nursing student and he was serving in the United States Army.Three children followed in rapid succession, cutting her nursing career short and making her a full-time stay-at-home mom.
The couple spent the first 15 years of married life in the big city suburbs of New York and Chicago. They then completely changed the family’s life-style and moved to the remote mountain town of Silverton, Colorado where they owned and operated a weekly newspaper for the next fifteen years.
The next fifteen-year slot was filled with the operation of a bed and breakfast in Murray, Kentucky. Following that they returned to Silverton for six years and moved to Mount Pleasant in 2010 to be closer to family.
Karen is survived by her husband, George, sons Grant (Dianna) of Jefferson City, Missouri, Tod, and daughter Jill, both of Mount Pleasant; three grandchildren, Dawn Yearington (Jake) of Westline, Missouri, Geordan Chapman of Itasca, Illinois and Emma (Tyler) Davis of Verona, Wisconsin; and three great grandchildren.
Although she only spent a short time pursuing her chosen career of nursing, Karen spent a lifetime of kind and considerate care of others. She volunteered every time she was asked, and often before she was asked. Among the range of tasks Karen undertook were, Cub Scout Den Mother, teaching ESL to migrant farm workers in Kentucky, Home Hospice visitor, Meals on Wheels delivery, ambulance driver (on wintery Colorado roads), and more. In 2000 she was singled out by the Four Rivers Behavioral Health organization (in Kentucky) for six years of dedicated service to that organization.
Church was important for Karen and she not only served on many boards and committees at the churches she attended in various locations. She sang in the choir at most and played piano for services as needed. She served at least two terms as Moderator of the First Congregational Church in Silverton.
Care and cremation are being handled by Kimzey Funeral Home. No local services are planned. Interment will be at a later date in Hillside Cemetery, Silverton, Colorado.
For those interested in making a charitable donation in Karen’s name, please consider the Alzheimer’s Association.