Karen Sue Raymond

Karen Sue Raymond passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. She is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, Ben and Jamie Newbary of Florence and Jason and Karis Newbary of Missoula, and also her daughter and son-in-law Kirsten and Jason Oelrich, who reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Karen also enjoyed six wonderful grandchildren who were/are extremely accomplished in sports and excelled scholastically, Corbin, Zachary, Brooklynn, Macey and Bryar Newbary and Jason Oelrich II.

An outstanding way to describe Karen could be summed up in the cliché, "Dynamite comes in small packages!" For those that truly knew her, Karen was an incredibly authentic, pragmatic and loving person who was never afraid to candidly speak her mind. She possessed a rare passion for the advocacy of those who might be called an "underdog," and because of her courage and willingness to sacrifice for the needs of others, she epitomized what a true hero looks like.

Karen was passionate about excellent dark roast coffee, loved trips to the Oregon coast, enjoyed crafts, and was an accomplished artist quite gifted at working with a variety of media. She also fervently loved the outdoors and was particularly fond of fishing for trout. Additionally, Karen appreciated riding her mountain bike and spending time with her family. She was especially fond of watching her grandchildren grow up and compete in sports and other activities. It would be difficult to find anyone who loved her children as passionately or protectively as Karen, as she would have laid down her life for any one of them without a second thought.

Karen was stunningly beautiful inside and out, and was filled with love, kindness, compassion, courage, strength, resolve, creativity and a very precious heart. To say that she was a survivor would be an understatement as she single-handily raised three very successful children, all of whom she infused with her strong values of loyalty and her fearless and fighting spirit. Karen continuously challenged her children to be excellent, to overcome any obstacle that might arise, and to be willing to fight for those things in which they believe as well as for those whom they love.

She taught her children to stick together, and to support and love one another regardless of the circumstances.

Karen's favorite quote was, "It's better to live one day as a lion, than a lifetime as a lamb," and she was not afraid to take on the challenges of life for her or her children – regardless of the personal cost to herself.

Simply put, Karen was absolutely irreplaceable. These few words of love could never accurately or fully describe the most beautiful, marvelous, precious, treasured, giving, generous and fearless heroine of those who knew her well …the amazing mother and grandmother, Karen Sue Raymond.


Read Karen Raymond's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.