Karla Rae (Gearhart) Stephen

Karla Rae (Gearhart) Stephen, 87, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at Grand Living Assisted Living in Cedar Rapids.  Karla was born on September 5, 1937, in Manchester, the daughter of Loran and Helen (Stoner) Gearhart. She attended school in Manchester and was a 1955 graduate of Manchester High School. Karla then attended UNI and Parsons College.

On August 21, 1959, Karla was united in marriage to Robert “Bob” Stephen at the Methodist Church in Manchester.

She taught second grade for 8 years in Mount Vernon, Anamosa, and Elkader. Bob owned and operated Bob Stephen Motors until his retirement in 2014.

Karla enjoyed spending time with her family, especially at their log cabin at Lake Delhi. She was a member of the  Tourist Club and Tri-T. Karla had a love for her dogs Cheesie, Tuggles, Pepsi, and Tiki.  She loved spending time with her daughter, Heidi, showing dogs at various shows in many different states. She would also take her two granddaughters with her to the shows. Karla was so proud of her dogs when they won their championships. Karla also helped her daughter with many litters of puppies, and occasionally, would help with grooming.

Survivors include her two daughters, Heidi (Paul) Roussell of Delhi and Jamie (Doug) Carroll of Ryan; seven grandchildren, Tirzah Roussell, Coy Roussell, Kinch Roussell, Ashley (Lucas) Bybee, Blake (Kelsey) Carroll, Brent Carroll, and Brady Carroll; and six great-grandchildren.

Karla was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bob in 2017; a brother, Bruce Gearhart; and her identical triplet daughters.

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