Karen Lee Preston was born in Santa Maria California on March 24, 1962. She was the youngest of three children born to Frank and Edna Preston. She went to rest in Jesus' arms on November 9, 2020.

Karen was preceded in death by her Dad, Frank. She is survived by her mom Edna, brother Steve, sister Natalie, sister in law and best friend Becky, two nieces, Julie and Carrie, two nephews in law, Juan and Daniel, and six great-nieces and nephews that she loved with her whole heart. Karen would remind us to mention she is survived also by her friend since Junior High school, Meredith Osborne.

A light went out in our family as Karen left us. So many memories of Karen flood our hearts and minds as we think about our life with her. Karen loved the Rose Parade in Pasadena CA and many times worked on the floats placing the flowers before the parade. She loved beagle dogs, especially the two the family had during her childhood, Boots and Dodger. She named the dog Dodger because she loved the LA Dodgers and often watched them on TV. Actually, the dog's AKC name was "Artful Dodger Blue," combining her love for the Dodgers with her deep and abiding love for reading great literature.

Karen had her own comedy radio show on NPR radio during her college years. In college she studied theater arts and sang in the college choir. Karen was very musical, bringing home every instrument in the band while in Junior High School and playing the glockenspiel in the high school band. She loved "different" instruments and in her adult years was acclaimed for her percussion work on her church worship team playing the congas, rain stick, spring drum and a myriad of other "noisy toys," as she called them.

Karen loved to laugh, and had a sort of crush on Gospel singer and comedian Mark Lowry because she thought he was so funny.  As we read the notes we have received in tribute of Karen, the word used most frequently to describe her is "fun." Usually in all caps with several exclamation points. Both of her nieces tell how much they enjoyed having Karen visit their home when they were kids because she was so much fun, and was so loving to them. And she always had candy and other treats as well as great Christmas and birthday presents for them, too.

Karen liked classic cars, and at one time had a 1930 Model A Ford Tudor sedan. She liked road trips and especially enjoyed a road trip taken from Oklahoma to California with her brother a few years ago. She had a passion for antique furniture and mechanicals like Victrolas and pedal sewing machines as much as she liked old cars.

Karen was a definite Christmas kid, and everyone who knows her thinks of that silly aluminum tree she insisted on putting up every year. In fact, she had a couple of aluminum trees and all the rotating lights that go with them. She adored A Charlie Brown Christmas, and at one point admitted that one of the reason she liked beagles is because she liked Snoopy so much.

Karen had several jobs in her life, primarily in accounting as an Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable clerk. Later in life that most people, Karen went back to college to get a teaching degree and credential. He most loved assignment was when she student taught for a class of special needs kids. If health had not prevented her going further, her plan was to spend the balance of her life teaching special needs kids.

She was a keeper of things. Others can be called hoarders, but Karen was a keeper. Of most everything. In her closet hangs costumes she used in college and amateur local theater. She was the family genealogist and had an unbelievable collection of family photos and historical records, so she made her propensity to be a keeper into a valuable pastime. Her other hobbies included playing board and online games like FarmVille, making jewelry, polymer clay figurines. She especially enjoyed making jewelry for family members.

Karen loved Jesus and loved missions. She was the missions coordinator at her church, communicating with missionaries across the globe and reminding the church family of the need to prayerfully support the missionaries. Karen and her loving heart were so respected by the congregation she was elected to the Board of the church. She played on the church worship team, and moved from there to playing on the worship team for a new church plant. Her family is comforted that her love for Jesus did not end with her departure from earth, but continues on as she plays amazing new noisy toys as she worships Jesus face to face.

Graveside will be held at Hillside Cemetery, Sedgwick, Kansas on Monday, November 16, 2020 at 12:30 p.m.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.bakerfhvc.com