Iris Karl

IRIS (ABBOTT) KARL

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – Iris (Abbott) Karl, 81, passed away on July 30, 2018 at Brookdale Senior Care after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

She was born on March 12, 1937, in English Township, Jersey County, Illinois, to the late Gilbert H and Lena (Thomas) Abbott.

Iris was a firm believer in education and excelled in school. She was a 1954 graduate of Jersey Community High School and went on to receive her bachelor's degree, in three and a half years, from Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. She went on to further her education at Southeast Missouri State University and Columbia University.

She married Wayne Karl in 1965 in Atlanta, Georgia. Soon after their marriage, Wayne was transferred to Washington, D.C., where he began his career as an engineer with the FAA. Together they made their home in Fairfax County, Virginia, for many years, where Iris worked for the US Census Bureau.

After Wayne's retirement, he and Iris fulfilled one of their lifelong dreams and bought a tract of land at the intersection of Interstate 64 and Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. On this ground, they built a "state of the art" Bed and Breakfast, rightfully named The Iris Inn, which is still in operation today.

As Wayne's health began to decline, they sold The Iris Inn and Iris's focus shifted to caring for Wayne until his passing. After his death, Iris built a smaller inn, The Feathered Nest, which she operated until her own health no longer allowed her to do so.

She is survived by a daughter, Miranda Karl of Maryland; a sister, Natalie (Abbott) Rickabaugh of Statesville, North Carolina; two brothers and sisters in-law, Edgar and Virginia Abbott of Alton, Illinois, and Gene and Patsy Abbott of Jerseyville, Illinois.

Visitation will be from 10 until time of funeral services at 11 a.m., Friday, Aug. 10, 2018 at Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, KS 67410. The Rev. David Rash will officiate.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be given to the Wayne Karl Memorial Scholarship Fund for engineering students at the Kansas State University or to the Parkinson's Foundation in care of the funeral home.

Online condolences may be given at martinbeckercarlson.com.