Dawna Karnes

For the first eight years of her life, she lived in Milwaukie, Oregon and attended a private kindergarten and then Milwaukie Grammar School.

As a young girl, Dawna’s activities included being a Camp Fire Girls Bluebird and she participated in the Missionette girls’ program at Portland First Assembly of God. Swimming also was one of Dawna’s favorite activities.

When Dawna was 8, her family relocated from Oregon to Campbell, Calif. where she attended Campbell Elementary. Four years later, the family moved to North San Jose, where she attended Morrill Middle School, then on to Piedmont High and later Independence High. Her move to Independence High frustrated her since she left many friends at Piedmont High. Her dog, Heidi, helped console her during that time of her life. After their move to North San Jose, Dawna’s family started attending Bethel Church (then on Moorpark Ave) where Dawna enjoyed singing in the “Relation” youth choir.

A turning point in Dawna’s life occurred at the age of 16. She began working part-time in a school for developmentally disabled children. She had a huge place in her heart for these children. That year was also when she met the young man that she would eventually marry.

Shortly after Dawna graduated High School in 1978, her dad retired and she moved with her parents to Nampa, ID where both her mother and dad had many relatives. Dawna worked in a local clothing store but decided to return to San Jose and attend San Jose State in the fall of 1979. Her major was Speech Pathology and Audiology, graduating in 1985 with a Master’s Degree.

After seeing each other for 4 years, Dawna and Barry married on June 13, 1981. Dawna was 21 and Barry was 22. Pastor Charles Crabtree officiated the wedding.

In 1988, Joshua David came along so Dawna stopped working to become a full-time mother for several years. In 1992, Caleb Joel entered the family.

Shortly after Joshua was born, Dawna was recruited to assist in the Bethel nursery. Her voluntary work with the Bethel children became a passion for her and she spent about the next 35 years of her life assisting in Bethel’s Children's Ministries. She helped in the nursery, with Sunday School, Missionettes and Royal Rangers. She wanted the children to develop a hunger for Jesus.

In the early 1990’s, Dawna’s mother in Idaho had a serious stroke so her parents moved from Idaho to live with Dawna and her family at her home in San Jose. Dawna then became a full-time mother, wife and caregiver of her parents—it was a difficult and busy time for her.

After her parents passed away and her boys graduated high school, she returned to work part-time as a speech therapist for a local school district.

In 2019, Dawna was diagnosed with cancer and courageously “fought the good fight of faith” for 4-1/2 years before entering Heaven for her eternal reward.

She was preceded in death by her dad, Burton and mother, Marjorie Benjamin.

Dawna is survived by her husband Barry, her sons Joshua (Rebekah) and Caleb (Joyce), her granddaughter Madeline, her sisters Linda (Byron) Newby, Janis (Reed) Tibbetts, and Karyne Paiva, her brother Kevin (Mary) Benjamin, her sister-in-law Leigh Eswonia (Scott Lorfing), sister-in-law Julie and numerous nieces and nephews as well as great-nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is being held at Bethel Church, 1201 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose, CA on July 15 at 10:30 am with a reception to follow and afterward, a graveside service at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, 490 Lincoln Street, Santa Clara, CA at 2 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to:

Metro World Child, P.O. Box 695, Brooklyn NY, 11237-0695 https://www.metroworldchild.org/

OR

Renewed International (God 4 Girls), P.O. Box 220456, El Paso, TX 79913

https://www.facebook.com/p/God-4-Girls-100066251430202/