Her Dad left this earth January 2019, her Mom March 2019, and her sister August 2019. Karen Kinney Owens was a classmate and a friend. She died today of COVID-19.
I remember spending the night at the Kinney house when we were kids. She and her sister always wore their hair in a ponytail to sleep and I thought it was the craziest thing ever. That’s why I had flat hair with tangles and theirs was poofy. (Took me 50 years to figure that out.)
In middle school, Karen, Cyndi Breedlove and I were very close. Karen had a secret and Cyndi and I kept it and even helped facilitate it to a degree. In today’s times, it would’ve likely been different and downright scandalous. Back then… especially being such young girls… it seemed like we weren’t doing anything wrong — other than fibbing in order to protect Karen and her secret.
And then came high school… the years where girls are so cliquish. There were 7 of us that were tight friends — me, Karen, Tammy Donahue, Tammy Masters, Darla Murphy, Sherri Bowman & Cyndi Breedlove. We switched back and forth insofar as the “best friend” title, but could all get along most of the time — except for Tammy Masters. All of us were mad at her at least 85% of the time. 🙂
Even when we switched up besties, Cyndi and I kept Karen’s secret until it became public knowledge… and neither of us were the one to tell it.
Our high school clique dispersed and all of us pretty much went our separate ways after we graduated… none of us remaining really close. I would talk to Karen every now and again by phone or when I’d see her out. But although we no longer spent time together as friends, I’ll still miss her. My heart hurts for her husband, remaining brother, (that dated Jerilyn in school), and her puppy that’s left without her.
Karen’s husband, Jerry, is still in the hospital sedated and on a ventilator. He also has COVID. I pray for his recovery. Several years older than Karen, he’s (as I understand it) not critical at the moment.
COVID is no joke.
Losing someone you know personally — especially when they are your age –brings this plague to a tight focus. It was rumored that Karen was exposed to COVID-19 at church, but that wasn’t true. She’d not been to a service since March when COVID first became a worry. She did work in a bank, but as I understand it, she always wore a mask.
There are so many in this area that refuse to wear a mask. Others don’t have the luxury of staying home as they are required to work but are as careful as humanly possible — like Karen. Still others don’t have to be around people and think wearing a mask and staying 6-feet from everyone else makes them bulletproof. It does not!
If you’re in my age group and get COVID, you are 90 times more likely to die than a 30 year-old with COVID. Over 85? You are 630 times more likely to die than a 30 year-old.
CDC says if you are in a higher risk category (high risk because of age, medical conditions, etc.) — you should STAY HOME unless you HAVE to go out. (Driving around and stopping at the homes of people you know is NOT a necessity.) No, it isn’t fun. Yes, it is depressing. But it’s better than dead.
Karen posted the following on her Facebook timeline about a month or so into the pandemic….
Tonight, Karen is a hugger again. 🙁
How severe the pandemic is in the places where people I care about are located…
Daily new COVID-19 cases (7 day moving average):
Indiana-86.1 (up); Jackson Co – 142.1 (up lots) — 6.18% infected (up); Florida 44.8 (up); Nevada – 77.8 (up)