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Karen Van Kirk Obituary
Karen attended grade schools in McPherson, was named a National Merit Scholar, and graduated high school in 1964. She attended the University of Kansas where she received a scholarship to study advanced German in Germany the summer of 1966, joined the Phi Beta Kappa Society and earned a Bachelor's degree in History in 1968. She continued her education at Emporia State University in Emporia, KS, earning a Master of Librarianship degree in August 1971.
On June 4, 1967, she married James Van Kirk and had two sons. She loved being a mother and took great pride in raising her sons and taking care of her family.
With a love for books and learning, she worked as the head of technical services for the Corpus Christi Public Library, retiring in 2011.
She was an active member at St. John's United Methodist Church for 44 years, regularly attending worship services and the Friendship Sunday School Class, attending and leading bible studies, and serving in the United Methodist Women.
Karen is survived by her two sons and their wives, Mark and Teresa of Mathis, TX, and Paul and Jennefer of Houston, TX; her brother-in-law, Greg Mitchell of McPherson, KS; her niece, Julie Mitchell, of McPherson, KS; 9 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Preceding her in death was her sister, Jonell Hall Mitchell.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service at St. John's UMC in Corpus Christi will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., with a reception for family and friends following. In lieu of flowers, please honor Karen with a donation to the St. John's UMC Foundation, 5300 S. Alameda, Corpus Christi, TX 78412.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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