Karen Yvonne Potter

Karen Yvonne Potter, of Orem, Utah, passed away on September 3, 2006, in Payson, Utah, of complications from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Karen was born to Albert and Betty Warner on April 13, 1949, in Fullerton, California. She spent the early years of her life in California and Montana, graduating from Brea Olinda High School in Brea, California, in 1967.
Karen was a member of the LDS church and served in the England Central Mission from 1971 to 1972. She was a faithful member of the church and served in many different capacities throughout her life.
She married Michael Ray Potter in Reno, Nevada, in 1979. They were married for seven years and were the parents of three children (Cynthia, Rebecca, and Thereasa).
Karen attended Brigham Young University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in History Teaching in 1992. This was a difficult time for her but she was determined to get her degree and worked hard to provide for her three daughters while attending school full time.
In 1992, Karen began her teaching career at Lakeridge Jr. High School in Orem, where she taught Utah History, US History, and World Geography for 13 years. Karen's last year of teaching was spent at Timberline Middle School in Alpine. She loved to teach and loved to teach about history. She touched the future of many young people with whom she worked and instilled a love of history and a love of country in many of her students. She was loved by her many students and the faculties at both schools and will be greatly missed.
After teaching at Lakeridge for ten years, Karen returned to school, completing an M. Ed. in Educational Counseling through the University of Phoenix in 2002. Karen was a three time Who's Who in American Teachers Award Winner, and was a wonderful colleague, teacher, friend, and mother.
Karen is survived by her three daughters, Cynthia Y. (Michael) Hall of Payson, Rebecca C. Carson of Orem, and Thereasa M. Potter of Orem; her father, Albert (Nedra) Warner of St. George; Sisters, Andrean Warner of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Pamela (Miles) Conner of Little Rock, Arkansas. Karen is also survived by her six beloved grand children, Michael, Emily, Lillian and Danielle Hall, and Kenya and Kylee Carson, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Karen was preceded in death by her mother, Betty Lou Warner.
We would like to thank the staff at Payson Nursing and Rehab for their kindness and love shown to our mother the last months of her life. We will always remember the kind heart of Jason Giatras and the nurses and aids who cared for her and met her needs.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, September 8 at the LDS church at 950 North 100 West in Orem. A viewing will be held Thursday, September 7, from 6-8 P.M., and Friday, September 8 from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. Internment will be at Orem City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alpine Foundation for the Karen Y. Potter History Scholarship that is being set up in her name to further the education of students from Lakeridge Jr. High School. For more information please contact the Alpine School District Foundation.