Karen Weber
Editor’s Note: This message was sent out by Mary Arlington, the executive director of the Kansas RV Park Owners Association, after the passing of Karen Weber.Â
We lost a dear member and friend on Friday (Nov. 17). With her daughter and son at her side, Karen Weber died in a hospital in Denver. She was the owner/operator of Mid-America Camp Inn, in Goodland, Kan., for over 41 years. The park has been a loyal member of our association throughout all of those years.
Her husband, Ron, served in various roles in leadership until his passing in 1988.
After retiring from 36 years of teaching, and in between her hobby of geocaching, Karen began serving on our board. She’s held a number of positions, usually in an officer’s role, even that of president. Earlier this year, she stepped down mid-term due to health concerns, and Mark Atkinson (Walnut Grove RV Park) was elected to fill her seat.
Karen was also our association’s longstanding liaison to the NW Kansas Travel Council, and was sometimes found working in a booth at the Denver outdoors shows, passing out tourism camping literature on our behalf. She sometimes also bought display ad space and then shared it with us to further promote camping in Kansas.
Long before Karen began serving in leadership, she was usually the greeter and the instigator of our fund-raisers. She loved visiting with her fellow members as she sold raffle tickets or whatever shenanigan she’d created.
Karen’s enthusiasm for KPOA’s success, her welcoming spirit, and her willingness to offer ideas during both our brainstorming sessions and our member Q&A discussions each provided a powerful display of how KPOA members can assist one another.
“I remember meeting her at my first annual KPOA meeting just two months after purchasing my park,” said KPOA President Richard Lord. “From the very beginning, she offered guidance and insight in a way that only Karen could. She was a wonderful mentor and friend and exemplified everything KPOA stands for. While she will be sorely missed, her impact on the people whose lives she touched will last forever.”
Personally, our two parks were in close enough proximity that we passed the other customers when our parks were overflowing, we sometimes shared retail inventory, and we gravitated to one another when we were attending national, state and regional conferences. It was fun to find her familiar face in the sea of people.
If there was anything she could do to assist another, she offered it. In more recent years, her “retirement” home outside of Goodland was my landing pad as I traveled the region. She didn’t get to use that home as she’d planned, since she operated her RV park until her final day. I’m not sure she knew how to not work.
My life was enriched by her. Because of her involvement and her consistent attendance at our annual membership gatherings, she touched the lives of many of our members. KPOA is better, healthier, and stronger because of her dedication to us.
Mid-America Camp Inn remains open; it’s open all year, with limited services in the winter.
You can read Karen Weber’s full obituary and leave a note at https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/karen-weber.
