Reta Karen Shrode, 78, of Rockport, passed away on Sunday, March 13, 2022, at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. She was born December 8, 1943, in Evansville, to the late Lloyd Carson Maricle and Opal Celeste (Musgrave) Maricle.
Karen grew up in rural Fairfield, Illinois, and was a 1962 graduate of Fairfield High School. Immediately after high school, she moved to Evansville and enrolled in Lockyear’s Business College, majoring in accounting. She was the first person in her family to achieve post-secondary education. After graduation from Lockyear’s, she accepted a job at Welborn Memorial Hospital in the Accounting Department.
Karen met her husband of 52 years, Joseph Alfred (Al) Shrode, in Indiana Rural Youth Club, and they were married August 30, 1969, at Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in rural Fairfield, a marriage the couple knew was a match made in heaven. The couple lived in Evansville for 2.5 years before purchasing a home in 1972 in rural Rockport, where they built their family life in Spencer County.
Karen was wonderful and committed wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker. She taught her family to love Jesus and encouraged those she knew to have a relationship with Him. She was an active member of the First General Baptist Church in Owensboro, Kentucky. Karen enjoyed sharing her love of music, especially gospel quartet singings and Ricky Skaggs songs. She was a fabulous cook and was known for her homemade pecan pies, with crust made from scratch and pecans grown in the yard at home. Karen cherished time with family and friends and enjoyed feeding birds and growing her rose bushes. Her travel highlights included a 2012 trip to Hawaii with her husband, brother, and sister-in-law and a multi-generational family trip in 2019 to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to celebrate Karen and Al’s 50th wedding anniversary.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Al Shrode, of rural Rockport; three children, Sarah Maisto (Brad) of Grandview, Eric Shrode (Jennifer) of Henderson, Kentucky, and Keith Shrode (Kristi) of Muncie; her granddaughters, Alexus Shrode of Richland, Elsie, Alene Karen, and Ella; her brother, James (Susan) Maricle of Bluford, Illinois; her closest friend, Mary Braun, of Evansville; one great-granddaughter, Charlotte; four step-grandchildren; five step-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life for Reta Karen Shrode will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 17, at Boultinghouse Funeral Home, 527 Main St., Rockport. Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, and from 9-11 a.m. Thursday preceding the service. Burial will be in Collins Chapel Cemetery outside Newtonville.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Collins Chapel Cemetery Fund.
The family would like to thank the staff of Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for their professional and empathic care of Karen while she was hospitalized.
Friends unable to attend may leave a condolence for the family at www.BoultinghouseFuneralHome.com.
