Karen Kay Kruse Dollahite

Karen Kay Kruse Dollahite, 61, of Longview, Texas passed away July 17, 2015 at her residence in Longview. She was born January 29, 1954 in Longview to Curtis and Robbie Kruse. She attended Pine Tree Schools and graduated in 1972. Karen was an artist and a very free spirited individual. She had a heart for all of God’s creatures and would take care of any of them that needed nurturing, from a squirrel that had fallen out of a tree to ducks or turtles that just needed a friend.

As anyone that met Karen knew, she was not what one would call a “normal” individual. She was definitely one that was very theatrical and artistic. She enjoyed sharing her talents in different ways with the world, be it while working as a makeup artist for different department stores in Longview, where she truly enjoyed sharing her joy for cosmetics with the patrons, or sharing her beautiful voice with others by singing at various nursing homes and caring for the elderly. She also loved to paint and make the most beautiful things out of materials that most of us would just overlook or consider to be garbage. She was truly and artist at heart.

She is survived by her parents, Curtis and Robbie Kruse of Longview; sister: Sheila Hayes and her husband Robert of Longview; nephew: Curtis Ray Klima of Longview; niece: Leisa Smith and her husband Scott of Longview; nephew: Jeremy Hays and his wife Cheri of Longview; grandnieces: Kamryn Jones, Kaylan Jones, and Karlie Smith; grandnephew: Brandon Hayes; as well as her “children”: Bubba the bird, Kandle the cat, Pee Wee the Duck and BooBoo and George the Cats. She was preceded in death by her grandparents on both sides: Ollie and Odie Freeman and Charlie and Ora Kruse.

A celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at the Chapel of Lakeview Funeral Home with Pastor Tom McDaniels officiating. A time of visitation and sharing with Karen’s family will follow the ceremony in the coffee room of the funeral home.