Karen Ruth Sutton Whitely, 55, of Hartford, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, April 5, 2015, at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. She was born in Ohio County, Ky., on Jan. 27, 1960, to Gregory Sutton and the late Virginia Faye Alvey Sutton.
She was a member of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church. Karen loved God and her church, especially her Wednesday night kids. She had a heart for missions. She showed God’s love to the people of Haiti with her trips there with her best friend, Terri. Second to her love for God was her love for her family, especially her grandchildren. Everyone knew Karen’s love and talent for music from listening to her sing in many church choirs and gospel quartets. The family wants to extend a special thanks to Lindsey for comforting Karen in her last months with her beautiful voice.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Virginia Faye Alvey Sutton, on Dec. 4, 1975.
Survivors include her husband of 36 years, Robert Dale Whitely, of Hartford; one son, Nathan Whitely (Ashley), of Liberty Township, Ohio; one daughter, Jennifer Nicole Blake (Larry), of Poseyville, Ind.; three grandchildren, Addison Whitely, Eli Blake, and Ava Blake; one brother, Harold Sutton (Debbie), of Hartford; one sister, Sarah Ringkor (Mark), of Utica; and her father, Gregory Sutton (Penny), of Beaver Dam. Karen was a Godchild of Dale and Jean Ward of Utica.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at Miller-Schapmire Funeral Home with Bro. Chris Taylor and Bro. Frank Benton officiating. Burial will be in Sunnyside Cemetery in Beaver Dam. Visitation will be held from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday and from noon until the time of the service on Wednesday at the funeral home.
The family request that expressions of sympathy take the form of a memorial donation to Global Outreach International c/o David and Judy Heady, P.O. Box 1, Tupelo, MS 38802 with a memo to The Children’s Feeding Program. Memorial contribution envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
