Karen moved to Morningside at The Meadows in 2018, drawn to both the welcoming community and the familiar faces she already knew from Floresville. For years she had visited her friends Shelley and Bob Ross, fellow members of the old Methodist Church in Floresville who had retired at The Meadows, and those visits gave her a glimpse of the lifestyle she would one day enjoy herself. By the time she decided to make the move, she already felt a sense of belonging, which made her transition a natural and easy one. She soon discovered that she was not alone as there is a small circle of former Floresville residents who, like Karen, have chosen to make The Meadows their home.
Karen was born and raised in Nebraska, the youngest of four children in a farming family. Growing up on a farm gave her the freedom to roam and explore, and she has fond memories of wandering the fields and wooded creek near her childhood home. She often reflects on how lucky she was to spend her early years immersed in nature, with the time and space to truly “be a kid.” She attended a one-room county schoolhouse with just ten students, eight of whom were her siblings and cousins. Remarkably, Karen started first grade at the age of four and learned the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and penmanship under the guidance of a single teacher for all eight grades.
When she was in high school, her family moved to Tucson, Arizona, for her mother’s health. The move from rural Nebraska to the desert landscape of Arizona was a shock, but Karen soon adapted. She attended high school in Tucson, where she played the flute in band, participated in dance troupe and tennis, and worked part time at the local movie theater, which was a great job for a teenager. After graduation, she took a few gap years before deciding to attend the University of Arizona.
Karen was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college, setting an example that encouraged her brother and her nephews to follow in her footsteps. She recalls walking into the admissions office with no knowledge of the application process and being fortunate to meet a kind clerk who guided her through it. At the time, women in college were generally expected to become nurses, teachers, or secretaries. Karen, drawn to science, chose to pursue a degree in education, a decision that launched her lifelong career as a teacher.
Karen’s first full-time teaching position was at a school on the Papago Indian Reservation, which required a 120-mile round-trip commute each day. She later found a position closer to home in Tucson, where her daughter, Debbie Chick, was born. After seven years of teaching in Arizona, Karen remarried and moved with her family to the Texas coast. Although the move was a leap of faith—with no jobs lined up, no house, and no family nearby—Karen and her husband quickly adapted, earning Texas teaching certifications while beginning their new life. Debbie, initially hesitant about leaving her familiar surroundings for high school, soon discovered, much to Karen’s delight, that attending school near the beach was an amazing experience.
For more than 25 years, Karen taught in the Flour Bluff School District in Corpus Christi, specializing in bilingual education and English instruction. She loved working with children, helping them learn to read and gain confidence in their language skills. Her teaching career spanned more than 30 years, and she also taught high school and adult students along the way.
After retiring, Karen and her husband moved to Floresville, enjoying a small acreage and the charm of a small town with big amenities. Following her husband’s passing in 2008, Karen remained in Floresville for another decade before deciding to move to The Meadows. With her daughter’s encouragement and the support of friends, the transition felt like a natural next step.
Today, Karen’s daughter Debbie lives nearby at Morningside at The Chandler Estate, allowing them to enjoy activities together and maintain their close mother-daughter bond. Karen also cherishes time with her two grandsons, one in San Antonio and one in Michigan, as well as with her beloved cat, Charlie, who shares her home at The Meadows.
At The Meadows, Karen has found joy in socializing, dining at the Meadowlark, and exploring new creative pursuits. She discovered a passion for playwriting through the Reader’s Theater group, working alongside Rebecca Burroughs, Betty Lynn, Fred Stokes, and Judy Adams. Although she had never written a play before retiring, her first piece, with guidance from Rebecca, was a melodrama that received an enthusiastic response. Since then, Karen has written several plays, including Squarely a Rectangle, which was performed at Chandler in September. Her next play, Life is Just a Bunch of Potted Plants, is scheduled to be performed in November and focuses on the upcoming Green Houses at The Meadows.
In addition to playwriting, Karen enjoys reading novels by John Grisham, Daniel Silva, and James Patterson. She embraces her time at The Meadows as an opportunity to keep learning, creating, and connecting. Her story is one of adventure and lifelong dedication to teaching and community, a life well lived and still full of discovery.