Kari Jean Lyell

This Story is Dedicated to Kari Jean Lyell

10/31/1976-06/23/2025

Prologue

This is a love story, the brave protagonist in this beautiful tale is Ms. Kari Jean Lyell and this story is dedicated to her. Anyone who ever met her had the honor of meeting such a special person from a galaxy not so far far away.

Chapter 1

Once upon a time in the small eastern Oregon town of LaGrande, Oregon, Kari was born on a dark and stormy All Hallows Eve, October 31st 1976 to Steve and Jean Lyell. Halloween forever became a celebration of Kari. Her addition completed their family of five, joining sisters, Kiva and Kimberly. Grandmas and Grandpas were overjoyed with the new addition. Nita and Everett Baker, Fern Hutchison, and Fern's mother, Grandma B (Broomfield) showered her with love and attention. The sisters were a triple threat and spent their days living life with the quiet understanding of how special having a sister is, with a bond that only grows stronger through space and time. Through this connection one can understand the true meaning of sisterhood.

Chapter 2

The Lyell family soon started out on an adventure and headed west to the small community of Dallas, Oregon in August of 1977. Here in the Willamette Valley, the family settled in and built a life full of precious shared moments with friends and family. The neighborhood the kids grew up in was affectionately known as the Hillcrest gang, although all were welcome in the group. In middle school, every person's favorite time in life. Kari met a couple of miscreants, oh I mean young ladies that would walk into her life and never leave. They stood steadfast and loved her so ferociously that they became part of the sisterhood. These women, Jody Pederson and Terese Jones, along with Kari, sometimes kept the middle sister Kiva awake long into the night with their nerd talk and their passion for changing the world in the most beautiful ways. Their expression of care for each other will be one of the greatest actions of love that has ever been witnessed in all the world.

Chapter 3

Kari made it through middle, high school and went on to college at Chemeketa and Western Oregon University graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Social Sciences. One of her very favorite subjects was history. She especially loved researching family history and genealogy, a special bond she shared with her Aunt, Holly Vonderhoe. Kari cherished her extended family which included many cousins, aunts, uncles, her brother-in-laws, Kiva's husband, Brian Gaither and Kim's husband, Paul Dieke, Aunt Holly's husband, Steve Vonderhoe along with the new addition of Rylie's husband, Tyler Vaughn. Kari welcomed all into her world and would treat everyone as if they belong to our family instantly, all her nieces', and nephews' significant others can vouch for this.

Chapter 4

In 1997, Kari became an Auntie for the first time, Raymond Byrd IV joined those of us touched by Kari's love and we soon saw her true calling as she adored him with her Auntie Mom superpowers. She became her nieces and nephews second Mom. She connected with each of them in such special ways and had countless precious moments that were only felt as love by them. One of her favorite activities was her love for movies and watching those with them from Barbie Nutcracker to Captain America. In 1999, her first niece was born, Rylie Gaither-Lyell and Kari fell in love all over again and shared a lifelong passion for reading with her. Nephew # 2 soon followed in 2000 and Ian Gaither-Lyell became her instant Marvel movie buddy, sometimes going up to Portland to catch a show with Ian and his friends. Katelynn Byrd was born in 2001 and they shared a fondness for playing with Barbies, and watching the series Supernatural and Once Upon A Time. Havalah Gaither-Lyell was born in 2002, they expressed their wild side through their love of animals, but especially wolves. The youngest, Everett Byrd, joined her pack in 2004 and kept us all busy with his boundless energy. Kari spent hours just holding him and enjoying his quiet moments the most of all. She read them stories, enjoyed tea parties with them, played with them, cared for them when they were sick, went to all of their performances and sporting events, went on field trips, consistently stepped in and helped shape them to be the people they are today. She loved sharing life with them and she always said it was one of her greatest treasures being their Auntie. But we really know it was the other way around, she was the most treasured Auntie.

Chapter 5

Just when you think a heart can't get any bigger, Kari's did. In 2006 she got a phone call that changed her life again and so she began her journey caring for Elise Marsh at 6 months old. This was her primary career for her entire adult life, working as a direct care professional. It was Kari's emotional depth that was the magic she brought to her 19 years career of loving Elise. Her last big adventure was traveling to Guatemala for a month caring for Elise, then in her off time: seeing the sights. She loved Elise so deeply, she quickly became a part of her growing family. She also became an honorary Auntie to Terese and Kevin's pride and joy, Quinlan in the year 2010 and her dear friend Lisa Diaz's daughter Isabella in 2011. The title of Auntie was her greatest love and her favorite hat to wear.

Chapter 6

Life in the past few years did not go as expected for our brave heroine and some days were down right brutal but Kari never stopped loving through it all. This is not how her story will end, not at all. Her life is a never ending story and will continue to be shared through our connections with others by communicating the love she gave. It will go on as we remember the precious moments we spent together with her. She was a beacon of light through the laughter and the tears. Kari had the purest, most beautiful laugh and to hear it you could not help but to join her in that expressed joy. The next chapter is yours to write and we hope that you will think about the best aspects of Kari Lyell and share those with the world. We'll call this the Kari effect and through that we shall live happily ever after.

Author’s note

Kari’s family wishes to thank the healthcare providers that provided care for her, especially the staff at Salem Hospital. Their compassion and care helped those long days be more tolerable for her and provided comfort for the family knowing she was in good hands.