Carol Joan (Hamblen-Owen) Gepner

Carol was born April 12, 1940 to Elmer and Beth Hamblen in Yakima, Washington. She spent her childhood years attending Yakima schools and attended Yakima High School.

Her sister Jeanette introduced Carol to a handsome Navy Sailor, Ray Owen, whom Jeanette was dating Ray's brother Joe Owen. The two of them hit it off from the start and married June 16, 1959. Brothers married Sisters. Together Ray and Carol raised four daughters, Brenda, Linda, Cheryl and Janice.

Carol remarried in 1984 to Gerald Gepner, gaining two stepchildren, Denise Jantz and Keith Gepner.

She worked various jobs in the area including canneries, housekeeping, the Good Will, Elton Youngs and the Yakima Firing Center as a Civilian cleaning building where she retired from in 2002. But her most cherished and important job was being a good housewife and loving Mother and Sister.

Her favorite holiday was Easter. She loved watching the little ones hunt eggs and our family potlucks that the Easter Bunny always attend at her home in Selah.

Our family was fortunate to spend Easter 2026 and her 86th Birthday a week later before God called her home.

She is survived by her daughters Brenda Zahler (Curt), Cheryl Owen, Janice Owen (Harley Hudson) all of Yakima, stepson Keith Gepner (Judi) of Arlington, stepdaughter Denise Jantz of Tri-Cities, sister Norma Cossel of Anacortes, and numerous great & great-great grandchildren.

Carol is preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Beth Hamblen, sister's Phyllis Stone & Jeanette Owen, daughter Linda Robinson and husbands Ray Owen & Gerald Gepner.

A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, June 20th starting at 11:00 AM at Langevin El Paraiso Funeral Home, 1010 W Yakima Ave, in Yakima. A Celebration of Life will follow at the local VFW, 118 S 5th Ave, Yakima.