Oct. 19, 1917 – Aug. 25, 2012
Deborah Irene Karr, 94, of Sweet Home died Aug. 25, 2012.
She was born Oct. 19, 1917 in Hot Springs, Ark. to Elijah and Florence Kelley.
Her family moved from Arkansas to Yucaipa, Calif. While in Yucaipa, she was rodeo queen of Yucaipa Valley Days Celebration. Debbie owned and operated La Petite Beauty salon in Yucaipa, with seven employees. She then started her real estate career, owning her own business in Calimesa, Calif. and was president of the Yucaipa Valley board of realtors.
She married Tom Karr in 1934 and they later moved to Grand Ronde and then to Roseburg.
She was a Cub Scout leader during the 1940s.
The Karrs sold real estate in Roseburg. After Mr. Karr’s death, Mrs. Karr moved to Sweet Home and continued her real estate career with Sweet Home Real Estate. She was then the Principal Broker at Santiam Real Estate. She opened Sweet Home Properties and ran it until her retirement in the early 1980s.
In 1988 she married Frank McElwain.
Mrs. Karr enjoyed playing pool, boating, hunting and cards. She was a good seamstress. She and her husband Frank were very active in the Santiam Sams RV Club for 19 years. Her greatest joy was family get-togethers.
She is survived by her husband Frank McElwain of Sweet Home; son John and daughter-in-law Carolyn Karr of Sweet Home; 11 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Karr was preceded in death by her first husband, Tom Karr in 1972; son Jim in 1975; and daughter Ruth Dohn in 2009.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.