Elaine Marie Karr

Elaine Marie (Viig) Karr

Elaine Marie (Viig) Karr, age 94, of Windsor, Colorado, peacefully passed away on November 12, 2025. Born in Cozad, Nebraska, on January 17, 1931, she was the youngest of four children born to Peter and Sylvia Viig.

 Her early years coincided with the Great Depression, a period marked by resourcefulness and resilience. She often summarized the era by saying, "Make it do or do without."  When she was 14 years old, her father’s passing due to an extended illness significantly impacted her family, leaving her to help with farm chores during her adolescence.

 Elaine graduated from Lexington High School in 1949 and married William Karr of Gothenburg on January 1, 1950. Their marriage lasted for sixty-nine years, and together they had two sons, William Jr. and Robert. The family enjoyed outdoor activities such as camping, boating, water skiing, and snow skiing, fostering a love for nature and adventure. They were active members of the First Presbyterian Church in North Platte. Elaine was a passionate supporter of Nebraska Cornhusker football and demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit by owning a health food store in downtown North Platte. She loved working as the Executive Assistant to the founders of Nebraska Machinery.

 After her retirement, Elaine, her husband Bill, and their beloved cat Missy embarked on nearly 12 years of full-time travel in their RV, exploring every U.S. state and numerous countries abroad. This period was marked by meaningful friendships and a deepening passion for playing Mexican Train and reading. Later in life, Elaine and Bill settled in Tucson, Arizona, before relocating to Greeley, Colorado, to be closer to family and lifelong friends.  Her family and friends will remember Elaine as a kind, warm, hard-working, frugal, and selfless, loving worrier. 

 She was the respected matriarch of the family.  Elaine was preceded in death by her husband Bill (in 2019), her parents, her brother Vernon Viig (Gene), and her sisters Bernice Kimball (Benjamin), Marge Blevins (G. Gordon). She is survived by her sons, William (Sondra), Robert (Nadine), and her granddaughters, Heidi, Jaime, Gwen, and six great-grandchildren. Her final resting place will be alongside her husband at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska.

 Memorial services will be scheduled at a later date. Instead of flowers, donations are encouraged to be made to a charity of the donor’s choice in Elaine’s memory.

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