Karen Hayes, lifelong St. John area resident, passed away Sunday, February 18, 2018 in St. John. She was 83. Funeral Services will be held Friday, February 23rd at 10:00 a.m. at the St. John United Methodist Church with burial following in the St. John Cemetery. Alix, as she was named after her father, Karen Hayes was born April 5, 1934, the oldest of three children, born to Alex and Myrtle (Lockhart) Schneidmiller. She grew up in the town of St. John but loved spending time at her grandparents' home where she often spent time riding horses on the mail route with her grandfather, Peck Lockhart. Karen graduated from St. John High School in 1952 and then attended Eastern Washington University for a time. She worked in Spokane as a secretary. Karen walked down the aisle three times in her life, all with the same man, 8th grade graduation, high school graduation and marriage. She married the love of her life, Ed Hayes, in St. John on November 26, 1955. They briefly lived in California where he was attending Cal-Poly before returning to St. John and farming with his dad. Ed and Karen began their own cattle ranch around 1960 just south of Ewan along Cherry Creek. They worked and ranched together their entire married lives, raising cows, horses, and even a race horse or two. You rarely met just one when the other wasn't by their side. Bull sales, horse sales, auction sales, cattle sales – they considered these to be "mini-vacations". Work was her play and Karen was a hard worker. She was a wife and mother first and she loved taking care of her family. She often cooked for the ranch hands, her family and others. She loved family dinners or holiday meals when the house was full of people; the fuller the better for Karen. Her family was very active in rodeo and it was Karen behind the scenes making sure lunches were packed, the camper was stocked and everyone was ready to go on time. She loved to ride horses, always raised a large vegetable garden and tended to her many beautiful flower gardens. Karen liked to make floral arrangements and she loved trees. She and Ed planted lots of trees around their property. Since 1959 she was a member of the Eaton-Wheatland Grange, she belonged to the St. John garden club, the Washington Cattlemen's Association and the AQHA (American Quarter Horse Assn.) Karen will be missed by many in the community, but especially by her husband of 62 years Ed; their two children, John Edward Hayes of Kingman, AZ. and Kathy (Randy) Schmick of Endicott; three grandchildren, Cherie Schmick, Samantha Melcher, and Shawn Schmick; and her two brothers, Lynn (Patti) Schneidmiller of Scottsdale, AZ. and Lance Schneidmiller of Spokane. She was preceded in death by her parents. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to the St. John Fire Dept./EMS. On-line guest book is at www.bruningfuneralhome.com
Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is caring for the family.