Kathryn Dunn Carlen-Bell

Beautiful “Katie” left this earth to join her heavenly family January 19, 2013. The family will gather from far-and-wide to celebrate her life with a visitation and service of praise and honor at Williams Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, TN. The family will provide music, share memories in celebration of her life and faith in God. Visitation: Thursday evening from 6-8 p.m., Friday 9-11 a.m., service to follow at 11:00 a.m. A graveside visitation and service will be held at Aten Cemetery, Hidalgo, Illinois where four generations of her family are buried on Saturday, January 26th, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flower’s Katie requested donations be made to a favorite organization: Feed the Children.

Katie was born in Hidalgo, Jasper County, Illinois, near Liberty Hill south of Greenup to the late Lowell C. “Bump” and Mary I. Sowers-Dunn, May 9, 1923. He was the local barber, farmer, and contract combiner for area farmers. Katie was married to the late Ira L. “Johnny” Carlen, son of the late Ira L. Carlen and Lucille Sights Carlen and was a stepson of Walter Carlen of Greenup, IL. Johnny passed away June 19, 1957 leaving her to raise her seven children moving after his death to Toledo, IL to be closer to her work. After her children were grown and scattered she later married Merrill Bell of Payson, AZ in 1975 where she spent twelve years of her life in a state she loved before returning to her daughters in Tennessee. Katie lived in Mt. Pleasant working for Ross Ins. Agency and later with Polk Memorial Gardens Office and helped with many visitations with Williams Funeral Home. She was a member of New Song Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant, founded, and nurtured by her son, Rev. Daniel Carlen.

Lowell and Mary Dunn formed a trio of their three daughters, Katie, age ten, Rosie, eight, and Gloria five known as: “The Dunn Sisters”. Surviving the Great Depression as child entertainers, Katie learned to play the guitar singing lead and yodeling; her father played the fiddle, and the girls sang harmony. The Dunn Sisters entertained at square dances with their father and entered amateur singing contests beating out Burl Ives, who later became a great folk singer and radio/TV entertainer. The contest led them to be hired by the third oldest radio station in the U.S., WDZ in Tuscola, IL working with Smiley “Frog” Burnett, who moved on to serve as the featured sidekick of Gene Autry in Hollywood Westerns. Their next move was to WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio where Katie, at fourteen, met and worked with singer Red Foley, and Homer & Jethro. The Dunn Sisters traveled on to WLS Chicago to KARK in Little Rock, AR where Katie played and performed with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. They traveled extensively throughout IL, KY, AR, OK, and TX before returning to their home in Illinois where she met the love-of-her life, her beloved Johnny. After his early death, she alone bravely raised her seven children while working for the WLBH Radio Station in Mattoon, IL serving as the first Woman’s Director. She remained active musically working with the local funeral homes she sang for many, many families at a time of their loss and in our early years served as the music leader at Hidalgo Baptist Church. Katie was the well-known vocalist performing with “The Gene Trimble Dance Band” appearing at College Dances, High School Proms, Elks Club, the Moose Lodges, VFW Halls, American Legion Clubs, local County Fairs, local military bases throughout central Illinois, for eight years. She also worked as Society Editor for the Charleston Courier Newspaper in Charleston, IL. All the while, she penned and sang her faith having several gospel songs published by Benson Publishing Co. in Nashville, TN after her move to Mattoon. Alone, she bravely retired in Payson, AZ because of her great love of the West. She owned/operated two restaurants while there later joining the Kohl’s Ranch Lodge near the Tonto Rim. While living on the grounds of Kohl’s Ranch, Katie researched and published a historical study: “The Legend of Kohl’s Ranch,” a place she found joyful employment and good friends. Katie was a wonderful, kind, generous friend. During our growing years, many evenings were spent at her feet with her black Gibson guitar and our favorite requests to sing-a-long. She surrounded us with music, love, and laughter. Katie’s courage for surviving the loss of our father was the support of both sets of loving grandparents close-at-hand, and a never-failing prayer life and bible study.

Kathryn and Johnny had seven children, four sons: Larry (Susie) Carlen, Ashmore, IL, John (Linda Hopwood) Carlen, Pittsburgh, PA, Rev. Daniel (Teresinha de Lima) Carlen serving as Missionary to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rev. Michael (Jean Kilgore) Carlen, Houston, TX; three daughters: twins, Joanelle “Jodi” Blevins-Duren (Gary), Mt. Pleasant, TN, the late Mrs. Richard (Rochelle) Germer, who is waiting for us in Heaven since 1996 and Mrs. Deborah (David) Ruiz, Goodlettsville, TN.

Katie’s two sisters survive: Mrs. Rosie McMorris-Baker, Charleston, IL, Mrs. Gloria McClure, Springfield, IL, (predeceased by her brother-in-laws: Leland (Bud) McMorris, Gale Baker and Tipp McClure.) Twenty-five grandchildren: Mrs. Kelley (David) Bixler, Mrs. Cindy (Chuck) Vest, Ms. Stacey Nolen, all of Lincoln, IL, Mrs. Shana (Staff Sgt.Raymond) Whitener (formerly of Greenup, IL) stationed in Austin, TX, Mrs. Tamara (Robert) Payne, Mrs. Tiffany (Todd) Hurd, Burleson, TX, Mrs.Tara Garrido (Anthony), Jensen Beach, FL, Mrs.Trista Hurd (Jack), Bemidji, MN, Richard DuBarton, Fairlawn, NJ, John (Renee’) DuBarton, Flower Mound, TX, Joseph Carlen, Houston, TX, LeeAnn Carlen, Nashville, TN, Mrs. Tonya (Maj. Shawn) Jenkins, Prattville, AL, Lauren Ashley Blevins, Columbia, John Alan Blevins, Knoxville, TN, Mrs. Jamie (Austin) Bodie, White House, TN, Mrs. Laura (Mike) Galbreath, Mrs. Anna (David) Redditt, Hendersonville, TN, Chad Weber (Brooke), Stonington, IL, Yo-Landa Weber, Casey, IL, Ms. Amy Germer-Shipley, Castleberry, FL, Mr. Aaron Germer, Chuluota, FL, J. Michael, Alexander (Hilary) and Joy Carlen of Houston, TX, 40 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren. She leaves behind special nieces and nephews, special family friends: Phyllis Carlen, Alan Blevins, Liz Russell, of Columbia, Richard Germer, Olney, IL. We are so grateful to the staff for excellent care at West Meade Place, Nashville, Columbia’s Rosewood & special thanks for the past four years of love and care from the nurses, techs and staff at Goodlettsville-Vanco Manor Nursing Home.

Grandsons and Great-grandsons will serve as Pallbearers at her graveside where she will finally lay beside her beloved Johnny. She never wavered from deep faith to see her through her life without our father and to prayerfully instill in her children that God is our strength and our guide for life. Yes, mother…its Roundup Time in Heaven! We love you…Happy Trails!