- Date Of Birth: October 7, 1968
- Date Of Death: April 1, 2021
- State: Indiana
Karen Jane (Hoover) Ralston, 52, of Greenwood, Indiana, passed away on Thursday, April 1, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the IU Health Methodist Hospital.
Karen was born on October 7, 1968 in Danville, Illinois to Dale Hoover and Janet (Cox) Hoover.
Karen treasured her family above all else. She was happiest when surrounded by family members near and far. With her family she loved movie nights, game nights, and evening walks that culminated in a stop for ice cream. She loved watching her “grandpups” play together in the yard and always encouraged her children to bring the pups when they came home so she could see them. In her spare time, she loved quilting with her friends and reading mystery novels.
Karen was beloved by a great many students whose lives she impacted through her role as the media clerk at Break-O-Day Elementary. She worked in this role for the past 3 years, having previously worked there as an instructional aid.
Karen was an active and passionate member of her church community at Turning Point Church in Franklin, Indiana. In addition to serving as the preschool director there for a number of years, she could frequently be found in the nursery, Sunday school classrooms, or anywhere else that children could be found. The teachings of Jesus tell us that the heart of the child is that of the Kingdom of Heaven and Karen embodied this through both her love of nurturing youth and her positive and playful approach to life.
Karen is survived by her husband of 33 years, Rick Ralston of Greenwood, Indiana; three children, Kirk (Megan) Ralston of Indianapolis, Indiana, Reid (Regan) Ralston of Ithaca, New York and Rebekah Ralston and her fiancé Bradley Sumpter of Greenwood, Indiana; three brothers, Mark (Rayetta) Hoover of Mt. Morris, Michigan, Tim (Lori) Hoover of Glendale, Arizona and Greg (Maggie) Hoover of Danville, Illinois; and her mother Janet Hoover of Danville, Illinois.
She was preceded in death by her father Dale in 2009.
At this time, there will not be a public visitation or funeral service. The future date for a Celebration of Life has not been set yet, but is tentatively scheduled for summer 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to one of Karen’s favorite organizations including Turning Point Church or the Johnson County Public Library. Be sure to mark your contribution as being in honor of Karen Ralston so that each organization can designate the funds in her memory.
