Karen Ann Mathews was born Jan. 17, 1962, in Spokane to Arthur H. and Mary Carmack Olson. She died as the result of an aircraft accident near her home in Oak Harbor on April 8, 2005.

Karen was raised in the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, area and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1980. She went on to college at the University of Idaho and then to Gonzaga University where she received a bachelor’s degree. Karen went on to teach in the Coeur d’Alene School District while continuing her education at The University of Idaho, ultimately receiving her master’s degree.

Karen was a single mom and worked hard at both of her passions: being a mom and teaching. In 1991 she met the love of her life. She and Ted were married on Oct. 26 of that year after the three of them, Karen, Ted and Kyla, moved to Anacortes, where Ted had secured a position at the Anacortes Fire Department. Karen went to work as an elementary school teacher with the Oak Harbor School District.

The family moved to Oak Harbor in 1994, and Ted found an even better position in Marysville. Karen and Ted purchased a house with acreage near Oak Harbor and worked hard to make it a special home for the three of them.

As a family, Karen, Ted and Kyla, enjoyed many things, but most involved nature. They loved to get next to nature by working on their eight acres of property. Karen shared Ted’s love of flying and they had their own landing strip in front of the house. It was while they were enjoying their love of flying that they were both taken from us in a tragic accident.

Karen is survived by her daughter, Kyla, who is attending Western Washington University in Bellingham and her mother, Mary Olson of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.