Karla Jean Anderson
1948 - 2022

In the early morning hours of Monday, December 26, 2022 – Karla Jean Anderson passed away quietly at home, with her husband Mike at her side and her daughter Jeanna and family in close attendance as well. She was 74 years old. Adrenal cortical carcinoma was the cause of death.
Karla was born in Beaver, Oklahoma in 1948, the third child and first/only daughter of parents Edith Maud and Kenneth Doyle Hawkins, devout Southern Baptist Christians.

She moved with her parents and three brothers, Jim, Larry and Mark, to California's East Bay area in 1953, where she attended elementary and middle schools before moving to Lemoore in 1962 for her high school completion (1966) and local community college years.
Karla began training as a hairdresser and then married John Luker in 1968. After his military service in Viet Nam and a brief stay in Texas, they moved to Merced where daughter Jeanna Marshelle was born in 1973.

She and John moved to Fresno with their young family in 1975 so he could complete his construction management degree at Fresno State, while she continued with her hairdressing career.

Karla returned to Christ in 1978 and joined Fresno's Northwest Church and began singing soprano in the beloved Spirit Choir.

Karla always loved antiques and collectibles, inheriting that same passion from her parents, regularly attending estate sales after church on Sundays and occasionally 'dumpster diving' to find those discarded vintage treasures.

In 1994 Karla met Mike at the annual summer retreat for the NWC Spirit Choir. They dated and were both remarried two years later at Northwest Church, starting a continuous love affair that lasted nearly three decades, full of singing together, worshipping together, gathering/collecting endless vintage treasures together and making memories with their seven grandchildren.

Karla's absolute favorite working mission in life was her beloved Karla's Kottage – a monthly event she hosted in her white-washed Kottage (a former working garage) that with growing popularity spilled over into the entire backyard of her home, complete with French door entry, winding brick walkways, Japanese maples, seasonal refreshments and blessed treasures galore. Her only shopping rule was to have fun.
Karla was preceded in death by both of her parents and her younger brother Mark Eldon, who died in an automobile accident and daughter Karen Authelet, who died from colon cancer.

Karla is survived by her husband Mike Anderson; her two older brothers James Doyle Hawkins and his wife Kathleen; brother Larry George Hawkins and his wife Kris; daughter Jeanna Marshelle Luker-Coombs and husband Richard and their children Tyler and Haley; nephew Benjamin Hawkins and his wife Sarah and their daughter MacKenzie; Mike's two daughters Erin Falagan and her husband Scott and their children Kate and Sam; Meredith Ryness and her husband Bryce and their children Mercy, Judah and Cora; beloved family friend Hank Webb, partner of brother Mark.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Karla on Monday morning, January 30, 2023, at 11:00am in the Worship Center, Northwest Church, 5415 N. West Ave. Fresno, Karla's home for 40+ years. Lunch will be provided in the adjacent Live & Loud venue on the same campus at noon.

Special heart-felt thanks for the loving assistance the family received from Hinds Hospice, Fresno – during this difficult time.

For family condolences or to leave a personal comment, photo or story about your relationship with Karla Anderson, please access the Yost & Webb Funeral Home website: www.yostandwebb.com . Simply follow the prompts.

Thank you all so very much.