Karen C Vetter

My mother, Karen Edelen Vetter (née Cory) was born on 10 February, 1940 to Edgar & Eleanore Cory (née Olsen) in Chicago, IL. As their only child, Karen had a sheltered but happy childhood & was very close with both of her parents. She graduated from Taft High School as Salutatorian behind her close friend, Marie. In 1959 while working for General Mills, she was asked out to the company Valentine Dance (yes, companies used to do that sort of thing) by Robert Vetter, and much to everyone’s surprise, including quiet, shy Karen, she said yes. That first date led to more, and eventually ended up with a walk down the aisle on 18 June, 1960 & the purchase of their first house in Elk Grove, IL. It was decided in the late 60’s to look to adopt a child, and first to be adopted was Melissa Dawn in 1967, followed by Cheryl Beth in 1971. By 1972 the fully formed family moved into a larger house on Kingsbury Drive in Arlington Heights, where they lived until 1995, before Bob & Karen eventually moved to their retirement home in Saddlebrook Farms in Grayslake, IL.

Karen was a stay-at-home mother & homemaker, and while she never went back to work in the traditional sense, she did pick up selling Avon, which she did for 30 years. It gave her an opportunity to get out of the house, have a little side money, and to feel useful. She was very successful at it, but like she used to joke - she was also her own best customer.

Bob & Karen were happy to travel with the family for summer vacations, visiting much of all four corners of this country. When traveling alone, Bob & Karen enjoyed a trip to Hawai’i and also a cruise through the Panama Canal. Since for their 25th wedding anniversary they had thrown a big party, for their 50th they decided to bring their daughters & their families on a Caribbean cruise. At home, Karen liked to craft, to work crossword puzzles, and to help her family however she could.

19 June, 2019 Karen went in to the doctor with knee pain in one of her artificial knees, and it was determined to be a potentially lethal infection. She was admitted immediately into Condell Medical Center, where she stayed for 6 months while they tried to fight against the infection, and eventually replaced the knee when it was safe to do so. After which she was moved to a Rehab facility, and then another Rehab facility, but unfortunately she never walked again. She lived out her final years bedridden at Thrive of Lake County in Mundelein, IL, where she was diagnosed with Dementia, and eventually succumbed to a stroke on May 6th, and passed away in her sleep on May 12th.

She is survived by her husband of almost 65 years, Robert M. Vetter, her two daughters, Melissa (Jim) Fisher & Cheryl (Thomas) Graves, 6 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, Edgar & Eleanore Cory, her son-in-law, Jim Fisher, and several beloved aunts, uncles & cousins.

Visitation will be held at Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N. Cemetery, Gurnee, IL on Sunday, May 18th between 1-5pm; private burial (family only) will be the next morning. Donations made to the family (Cheryl Graves, 1301 Heritage Ln, Sun Prairie, WI 53590) will be used to provide a catered meal for the endless dedication of those caring for the sick & elderly at Thrive of Lake County, where Karen resided for the last 4 years of her life.