Marilyn Jane Karns

Marilyn Jane Karns, born April 4, 1936, to Herman and Mildred Rumpf, is now in the arms of Jesus. She spent her childhood growing up in Peru, Indiana, before moving to Wabash, where she graduated from Wabash High School.
On Easter Sunday, April 10, 1955, Marilyn married the love of her life, Lowell Dean Karns. Many dates were spent square dancing, where Lowell called and Marilyn was his favorite dance partner. They continued to enjoy life and family side by side through every season before their marriage spanned 67 years. Lowell passed away on April 14, 2022. Together, Marilyn and Lowell raised their family on the farm in Urbana, where Marilyn worked tirelessly to create a home. She loved gardening, especially her lilacs, and it was not unusual to find an ailing calf, chick, or lamb being nursed back to health in a side room of the house. She cared deeply for her family, always finding ways to provide comfort, support, and love in both little moments and big ones. Marilyn worked as a reading teacher at Urbana Elementary School and later as a cook at Northfield Jr.-Sr. High School. She was also a co-owner of Urbana LP Gas, Krafter's Korner Plus, and Wabash Appliance. Hardworking and creative, Marilyn poured her talents into cooking, sewing, and crafting. She was an accomplished seamstress, making her own wedding dress, her daughters' prom dresses, and many quilts that her family treasures. She loved painting most of all, teaching sweatshirt painting classes in her home and often enlisting her granddaughters' husbands to find the perfect rocks for her to turn into artistic masterpieces. Her kitchen was another place where her love shined. Marilyn loved to cook for her family, always trying a new recipe and delighting in preparing meals for those she loved. Whether it was a holiday meal or a simple gathering, Marilyn loved to feed her family and friends.
Family meant everything to Marilyn and Lowell. They were blessed with four children: Kimberly (Jr) Jones, April (Bill) Welsh, Patti Lynn (born sleeping), and Dan (Kristine) Karns. Marilyn adored her nine grandchildren: Missy Jones (Jeff), Amy (John) Yoakum, Mike (Emily) Jones, Erica (Curtis) Miller, Ashley (Tim) Hendry, Chad (Krystal) Bever, Amie Jones (Logan), Kelli Karns (Jay), and Danielle (Austin) Curless. She was also a proud great-grandmother to Bailey, Rylee, Brooke, Hunter, Jaycee, Craig, Hailey, Cameron, Tyler, Lily, Jett, Hayden, Archer, Stetson, and Emmett, and Aryia Grace (born sleeping), and a great-great-grandmother to Madison, and Dawson, her sisters Priscilla Bradford, Linda Hoover, and brother-in-law, Ross Ulmer.. Nothing made Marilyn happier than being surrounded by her family, whether at the lake, enjoying each other's company around the campfire at her grandson's house, or simply being together for family events or birthday celebrations.
Marilyn also loved traveling and adventure, often with Lowell and their friends. She enjoyed trips to Branson, Disney, Twinsburg, Ohio, Switzerland, and many cruises. She and Lowell welcomed exchange students into their home, treating them like family. Many summers were spent at Long Lake Resort with her sister Dorothy, where days were filled with fishing and evenings playing cards, often laughing together late into the evening. Marilyn was a member at Christ United Methodist Church and attended Bachelor Creek Church of Christ. She was also a member of the Eastern Star. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Lowell, their daughter Patti Lynn, great-granddaughter Aryia Grace, and her siblings Donald Rumpf, Robert Rumpf, William Rumpf, Patricia Ulmer, and Dorothy Hahn.
Now, Marilyn is reunited with her beloved Lowell and their baby girl, Patti Lynn, whom she never had the chance to hold. After so many years apart, their long-awaited reunion is surely filled with love, joy, and tender embraces. Though her absence leaves an ache, Marilyn's love continues to surround her family. Her legacy lives on in the countless ways she cared for them, the warmth she brought to their lives, and the stories that will be told and retold with love for generations to come.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Bachelor Creek Church of Christ, 2147 N. State Road 15, Wabash, with Michael Eaton officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, Urbana. Friends may call 4:00-8:00 p.m., on Thursday, at Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, 1241 Manchester Ave, Wabash, with an Eastern Star service at 7:30 p.m.
Preferred memorial is Animal Shelter of Wabash County.
The memorial guest book for Marilyn may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Marilyn Jane Karns, please visit our Tree Store.