Karen Sue Bode

Karen Sue was born in Perry, Oklahoma, to Ray and Hazel (Winsworth) VanBebber on the 27th of July, 1943. In 1946, soon after turning three, she lost her sister Ramona to polio. In 1947 her father Ray suffered an automobile accident that left him crippled until his death four years later. Her mother Hazel resumed her former profession as a teacher. Along with her sister Wynona, Karen Sue attended Perry Elementary, Junior High, and High School. She played the flute with the school band for 7 years. At Girls State she was Band Queen and Queen Attendant. Along with her sister she went through all the stations in Rainbow and received various honors. Her family was active in the First Baptist Church of Perry, and Karen and her sister went to Falls Creek (Baptist) campground several summers. On the 22nd of April 1961, she was married to John Herman Bode. They settled in Del City, where two children were born to them: John Raymond and Lori Dawn. In 1967 they bought a farm near Orlando, nine miles south of Perry. Afterwards they had a second daughter, Jonene Lee. The family reunited with the First Baptist Church of Perry, and Karen taught Sunday School there for twenty years. Her hobbies were painting, sewing, stained glass, tatting, and crocheting. According to her obituary in the Perry High School Alumni Association, “She was a member of the Stillwater Art Guild, Oklahoma Mineral and Gem Society and enjoyed stained glass work. She taught many people the art of stained glass making. She was also involved three years with the Stillwater summer enrichment program for kids. She and her husband held demonstrations at several area schools on rock polishing.” On the 29th of June 2005, she died at Stillwater Medical Center of complications from chemotherapy. She was survived by her husband John, her 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, and her sister Wynona Passow.