Karen Barbara Eves

Karen Barbara Holder Eves was born November 11, 1947 in Monterey Park, California, to her parents Florence Marie Krupl and Edgar Thomas Holder. As the firstborn, Karen was later followed by her siblings Clifford, Nancy, and Alvin. Karen always recalled with fondness the time that her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She said it was the happiest of times the family would enjoy together.
Karen grew up in West Covina, where she met Jasper Philip Eves in their home ward. They would court for two years until Karen was old enough to marry. Phil and Karen were married and sealed in the Los Angeles Temple on June 25th, 1965. They started their family in Arcadia, California, where Phil was a police officer. After a few years, Phil decided to return to school to get his undergraduate degree and to pursue a law degree. Karen supported her husband during these school years, working in any job she could while caring for and raising the couple's two eldest children. She worked at a dry cleaners, as a secretary, and in food service. She was determined that her young family would have what they needed during those economically challenging times.
The family moved to Parowan, Utah in 1978. Karen worked as Phil's secretary for a few years, until his law practice took off. Then she worked a few other secretarial jobs over the next few years until she felt she had found a good workplace at the Parowan Medical Clinic, where she loved working with her dear friend Karen Boardman and with Dr. Roger Smith and Dr. Noal Robinson, all of whom she respected greatly. She would eventually take a promotion as Manager of the Medical Records Department at Beaver Hospital. This job required her to commute daily from Parowan to Beaver, even during the treacherous Utah winters. She retired professionally in 2009 to focus on her family full-time.
Karen's defining characteristic is that she was a hard worker. In addition to her exceptional professional work ethic, she always made sure her family had the things they needed through her hard work and self-sacrifice. She was constantly engaged in projects to help her family whether it was sewing clothing, crafting for craft fairs, making meals, taking on extra shifts, or beautifying the home.
Through her example and motherly instruction, Karen taught her children many valuable life lessons and emphasized the importance of being respectful, obedient, hard-working, honest and moral. Karen highly valued family togetherness as one of her priorities, always making holidays and celebrations special with home-cooked meals, delightful holiday treats, activities, traditions, and picture taking. She encouraged all to be present! Most of all she taught her children to always do their best in their endeavors. Anyone who knew Karen can attest that she would never do anything halfway. She gave her all to every effort.
Karen served in the church throughout her life, and always taught her children that there was no greater happiness than living the gospel and staying in the church.
Karen's strength and guidance as a matriarch and as a disciple of Christ, would see all four of her sons serve as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and all five of her children married and sealed in the temple to their spouses. After her children had married and left the family home in Parowan, Karen and Phil relocated to Saint George, Utah, where they would enjoy warmer winters and lower altitudes in their later years together. Phil passed in 2016.
Karen remarried in April 2020 to Lynn Reading. Lynn has been a caring companion during her last few years of life.
Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Edgar and Florence Holder, her brother Alvin Holder, and her eternal companion Phil Eves. She is survived by her children: Cynthia (Raymond) Allton, Jason (Liza) Eves, James (Kimberly) Eves, Michael (Melissa) Eves, and Anthony (Jaye) Eves. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and her second husband Lynn Reading.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 21 at 10:30 a.m., preceded by a viewing from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints located at 115 W 2000 S, Washington, Utah, 84780. Interment will follow at the Parowan Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. A livestreaming of the services can be viewed, and online condolences may be left at www.mortuary.org