Geraldine Karls

Geraldine "Geri" Karls, age 78, of Sheboygan, died Friday morning, June 12, 2015 at Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice. She was born June 28, 1936 in the Town of Meeme in Manitowoc County to Alvis and Alice (Schnell) Salm. She attended local schools and was a graduate of Kiel High School, Class of 1954. On June 14, 1958 Geri and Alex Karls were united in marriage at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Spring Valley, WI. Alex preceded her in death March 16, 1969. Over the years Geri worked at various places including St. Dominic Catholic Church as the parish secretary, at Heritage Insurance Co., and at Kohler Co. until her retirement in 1996. In her early years Geri enjoyed activities in 4-H Club and Girl Scouts and later volunteering at St. Nicholas Hospital. She was a faithful, active member of St. Dominic Catholic Parish where she helped with the food pantry, was a greeter, and enjoyed helping with the second grade reading program. She enjoyed gardening, traveling, and especially spending time with her grandchildren. Geri's greatest gift was her kindness and compassion in caring for others. She is survived by her son, Vince (Mary) Karls of Sheboygan and her daughter, Denise (Joe) LoPiccolo of Milton, GA; four grandchildren, Nicholas Karls, Matthew Karls, Ali LoPiccolo, and Lucas LoPiccolo; special friend and brother-in-law, Ken Knier; and other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Arlene Knier and LaVerne Alme. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 12 noon on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 2133 N. 22nd St., Sheboygan, WI 53081. Rev. Phil Reifenberg, Pastor, will be the celebrant. A time of visitation and support will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established in her name for American Cancer Society, N19W24350 Riverwood Dr., Waukesha, WI 53188. Geri's family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the caring and compassionate staffs at Sheboygan Memorial Hospital and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, and they especially want to thank Dr. Santhosh Kumar at the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic.