Patricia Grace Karraker

Patricia Grace Karraker of Harwood Place in Wauwatosa passed away on Sunday, January 12, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was 100 years old. She is the beloved mother of her son Alan (Frances), her daughter Sharon (Craig) Cohen, and grandchildren: Kelsey (Ben), Austin, Kevin (Rachel), Jeffrey and Lauren.

Patricia (Pat) Karraker was born in Mascoutah, IL where her father was an automobile dealer. She told the fascinating story that cars arrived disassembled in packing cases and had to be assembled at the dealership. During WWII, auto manufacturing stopped because the factories were required to build airplanes for the war effort.

Pat majored in French with a minor in English and Spanish at Southern Illinois University, graduated with a Bachelor's Degree (Salutatorian) and taught there for three years after graduation. She earned a Master's degree at the University of Illinois and worked toward a Ph.D. in French for two years at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She met Louis Karraker, also a graduate student at University of Wisconsin, Madison and they were married in Baltimore before Louis was shipped out for the Korean War.

Louis and Pat lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for 6 years where they both taught at Augustana College before starting a family. They moved to Brookfield in the 70’s where Pat was a homemaker but volunteered at the Florentine Opera Company, AAUW, Our Redeemer Lutheran School and was in a couple of bridge groups. She later taught French, Spanish and German at Concordia College, Ann Arbor Michigan. Pat concluded her career with over 20 years at Runzheimer International as a linguist.

Pat moved to Harwood a month after Louis passed in 2012 and never looked back. Her grandchildren called her "Grandma 2.0." She was an avid bridge player, joined the French Club, Book Club, volunteered at the library and the gift shop, joined the symphony and was an avid reader. Her favorite genre was mysteries, and she usually read a couple in French each year. She loved living at Harwood and made many friends and loved her 6th floor dinner group as well as all the staff and nurses who helped her over the years. She could be seen at church at Harwood every Sunday, usually in the 2nd row and participated in the Bible studies led by Chaplain Derek.

She was a good person...intelligent, funny, sweet, loyal and interesting and will be missed.

 Mealy-Stencel Funeral Home is proudly serving the Karraker family.

• Mealy-Stencel Funeral Home 
• 225 W. Main Street Waterford, WI 53185
• 262-534-2233
• www.stencelfh.com