Helen (Marcum) KarnJuly 27, 1926 - October 20, 2017Renton, WA - Helen Marie Karn, 91 passed away on Friday October 20, 2017 at UW Medicine, West Valley Hospital.Helen was born on July 27, 1926, at Myrtle Creek, OR to Olney Grant and Oza Edna (Skeen) Marcum. She was the 8th of 9 children. She attended Douglas County School District #70 and graduated from Myrtle Creek Public High School in 1944. On March 26, 1946, Helen was united in marriage to Thomas William Karn in Salem, OR. Bill was a WWII veteran of the Army. Bill & Helen made their home in Salem, OR until his death on April 5 1971. They had one son Michael G. Karn. Helen worked as a Motel Manager, Waitress and Supervisor. She moved to Vasa Creek Woods Senior Apartments in Bellevue, WA in December 2000 to be closer to Michael and his family.Helen was a member of Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue. Where she was baptized and spent many hours volunteering in the kitchen or wherever they needed her work to support their community.Helen was a master quilter and made quilts for all the family members, friends and her church. Grammy, as she liked to be called was a very generous and would start buying Christmas gifts for the grandkids right after the 1st of the year. Each one would have a large basket of all the essentials - sox, underwear, toothpaste, etc. for Christmas along with a quilt, homemade muffins and cookies. Before arthritis afflicted her hands, they were always busy with her quilting, crafts and baking, In her younger years, she enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends.Survivors include a son, Michael Karn of Cle Elum, WA and his wife Irene Bjorklund; 3 grandchildren: Todd Karn & his wife Katrin of Snoqualmie Pass, WA; Lisa Karn & her partner Genevieve Johnson of Littleton CO and Joe Karn & his finance Heather Hinkle of Bellevue, WA ; 3 grandchildren: Nikol Szymul, Hannah Karn and Georgia Viray; and a sister, Velma (Marcum) Boyd of Roseburg, OR.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill, her siblings: Murle Marcum, Dean Marcum, Ruth (Marcum) Springer, Edith (Marcum) Weaver, Roy Marcum, Margaret (Marcum) Naas, and Wayne Marcum.Services are pending with burial at City View Cemetery in Salem, OR.
Guestbook