Karen Deanne (Lupher) Adams, age 84, passed away on March 30, 2024 at her home in
Wichita KS with her loving son Ronald and granddaughters, Jennifer and Ashleigh, by her side.
Visitation will be held Friday, April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ward Funeral Home in Washington.
A funeral service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 6 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Greenleaf, KS.
Burial will be in Greenleaf City Cemetery.
Karen was born on August 12, 1939 to Clovis (Kelly) and Irma Lupher. She attended Fairview,
a small country school and later attended and graduated from Greenleaf High School in 1957.
She was baptized on August 27, 1939 at St Peters Lutheran Church, Barnes KS and confirmed
March 29, 1953 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Greenleaf KS.
Karen was one of the most popular and prettiest girls in high school. She was nominated
homecoming royalty throughout her high school years and was also selected to be in the
Washington County Beauty Contest. Out of the 13 towns in Washington County, Karen was the
one selected from Greenleaf.
At the age of 18 Karen left the family home and attended Weaver Airline School in Kansas City.
After graduating she was sent to Washington DC to work for Eastern Airlines. This is where she
met her husband, Richard. Karen left the airlines and moved to Richmond VA where she
worked as a teletype operator for several years. She later became a bus driver, which would be
her love, for over 53 years.
Karen and Richard were married on May 4, 1958 after four short months of dating. They have
three boys; Richard (Rick), Rodney and Ronald. Karen was blessed with two beautiful
granddaughters, Jennifer Brooke and Ashleigh Elyse. Jennifer and Ashleigh meant the world to
her. She always enjoyed their visits and couldn’t wait until she could see them again.
In the late 1990s Karen and Richard moved to Salina KS to be closer to her family. Richard had
never been to Kansas and promised Karen that she would return once he retired. Karen
continued driving a bus after their move for Heartland Early Education in Salina until she was
82. The kids meant as much to her as Ms. Karen did to the children. She also volunteered at
the Stiefel Theatre in Salina where she could attend concerts and fulfill her love of music. She
attended Christ the King Lutheran Church in Salina. It was not unusual to see Karen and
Richard attend George Jones concerts together. In 2023 she moved to Wichita KS to live closer
to her son Ronald.
Karen had many talents. She was named “mother of the year” when her boys were little. She
was a wonderful seamstress, made beautiful ceramics and endless pieces of immaculate cross
stitch; some taking her years to complete. Karen was a stunning lady, beautiful both inside and
out. Folks would comment on her beauty wherever she went. Her son Ronald even mentioned
how strangers would come up to her just to mention her beauty. Karen had a short modeling
career at the young age of 70, modeling for Christopher & Banks. She was so humble and kind
to everyone she met and had a heart of gold.
Karen’s family meant the world to her. Karen was the oldest of 10 siblings and would take care
of the younger kids for her momma Irma. Karen claimed her brother Fred as being her baby;
they continued this close bond to the very end. Karen and her mom had a very special
relationship, only being 16 years apart, they were very good friends. She loved all of her
siblings dearly, which was the reason for her and Richard moving back to Kansas. She enjoyed
every minute she could spend with them where they would laugh until they hurt. Karen shared
many stories when they were younger; she would make her younger sisters go to the outhouse
with her in the middle of the night because she didn’t want to go alone. She’d make them count
to 100, if she wasn’t ready to go back in they’d have to count to 100 again. Another was when
she would come in at night, she would put her cold feet on Myrna and Linda’s back to warm
them up. They couldn’t move until her feet were warm.
In her last days, laying in her hospital bed at home, she asked Myrna to crawl into the bed with
her. This was nothing unusual for the Lupher kids. Six of the kids were in two tiny bedrooms
upstairs in their farmhouse. Karen and Linda had to share one full bed while Vicki and Myrna
had a single size bed in the same room. Gale and Fred shared the other bedroom with only a
curtain separating them. Though times were rough for them growing up, they always had each
other and their friendships grew throughout the years.
Karen was preceded in death by her husband Richard, parents Kelly and Irma Lupher, brother-
in-law’s Kenny Tiemeyer and Stanley Mueller, niece Kelli Lynn Cairns, nephew Todd Cairns.
She is survived by her three children Rick Adams, Lindsborg KS, Rod Adams, Salina KS and
Ronald Adams, Wichita, KS. Granddaughters Jennifer (Alan) Engle, Jacksonville FL and
Ashleigh Adams, Lincoln NE. Siblings Gale (Doris) Lupher, Greenleaf KS, Myrna (Stanley)
Cairns, Greenleaf KS, Linda (Martin) Merrill, Waterville KS, Vicki (Dan) Rempe, Lincoln NE,
Fred (Linda) Lupher, Lincoln NE, Debbie Tiemeyer, Omaha NE, Rhonda Mueller, Frankfort KS,
Tony Lupher, Vacaville CA and Shelli (Jim) Osborne Blue Rapids KS, 15 nieces and nephews,
33 great nieces and nephews and 14 greats.
Thank you to our heavenly Father for the years you gave Karen to us and for taking her home to
be with you. We are grateful for allowing Karen to go peacefully and for allowing her these last
several months to spend every day with her son Ronald. Their mother/son bond was very
special to both of them. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Karen D. Adams, please visit our flower store.
