Karen Sue Ezell

Karen Sue Ezell, 72, passed peacefully in her home on Saturday, July 12, 2025, surrounded by

family and love.

Karen was born June 2, 1953 in Roswell, NM to Dean & Betty Mayberry. Karen was preceded in

death by her husband Wes, her parents Dean & Betty Mayberry, & her best friend Kathy Brown.

Karen is survived by her daughter Keli Krueger, of the family home with granddogs Maddi &

Willie, daughter Missi Jorgensen (husband Kris), her sister Donna Bohannan (husband Ron),

nephews Derek Bohannan (wife Becky) & Brandon Bohannan (fiancé Ashley Salas). Also, very

close to Karen were her cousin Rita Casuga, and Rita’s children Jason Casuga & his wife

Rachelle, Jaymie Deichman & her husband Loren, and Jennifer Casuga. Karen was also very

close to her nephews Mike Ezell (wife Trina), Chuck Ezell (wife Eva), and Steve Ezell (wife

Gail). Many other cousins, great nieces and nephews including Sophia, Ashlyn, Liam and Regan,

Jessica, Sadie & Shelby were blessings in her life. Karen’s dear friends Becky Van Tol and Lori

Davis and our Nancy Landrum were of great importance to her and Keli, with their love and

support helping Karen after Wes passed in 2023.

Karen, Mike, Chuck and Steve would spend Monday and Thursday nights, Saturday and Sunday

live-texting during football games. It may be a blessing that Karen isn’t here to see Dak Prescott

and the Cowboys choke. Again.

Karen began working with her mother Betty at Furr’s grocery store in Roswell while in her

teens, spent some time working for the Chaves County Sheriff’s office. In September of 1976,

she became a mom and the Karen and Keli show began. She went to work for Save N’ Gain

grocery stores in Roswell, and was transferred to El Paso in 1983. While in El Paso, she met the

love of her life Wes. She and Wes married in 1985, and Karen, Wes & Keli became a family that

included at least 1 dog, sometimes 4 dogs, for almost 40 years. After relocating to

Albuquerque/Rio Rancho in 1989 to be closer to family, Karen finished her working life in 2015,

retiring from Sprint. She spent a chunk of her retired life babysitting her granddogs, watching

Food Network and listening to Wes repeat funny lines from almost every show on TV.

Karen was an amazing woman. Strong, funny, hardworking, loving, generous & beyond

supportive. She loved to argue and tried to tell Keli what could and could not go in her obituary.

But since she’s not here to police this, she hit her house with the car once, just to avoid the

sprinklers because she had just washed her car. She also had to use barbeque tongs to reach

clothes in the washer because she was short and couldn’t reach the bottom. She was an excellent

cook but did finally admit that Keli is the master of Grandad Tacos. Her nails were her thing and

in Keli’s almost 49 years, Karen was never without polished, beautiful nails. Karen balanced her

checkbook old school with the checkbook register multiple times a week, and always balanced to

the penny. Except for the time Keli deposited $1.37 in the account as a joke. This was way back

when people still got the paper bank statements. It took Karen 2 months and a trip to the bank

before she figured it out. Karen was not amused, but Keli and Wes were. On many occasions,

she said some really funny stuff and Keli never did video any of it, which is a shame, because

man, she was hilarious. She was a sucker for dogs, but thought 2 was enough, which was crazy

talk. Keli might get a third dog. And try as she might, she could never spell the word biscuit

correctly.

Karen and Keli argued daily about who loved who more. Karen finally compromised and gave

Keli Tuesdays to love her more, keeping the other 6 days for herself. She instilled in Keli a deep

love of George Strait, classic country music, John Wayne movies, good jewelry and so many

other things that its hard to quantify. Love was the most important, followed closely by respect.

She did teach Keli how to channel her inner 1987 Karen, and with the Betty/Donna influence, it

has been invaluable.

Karen had many people she considered her “kids”, some she helped raise, some she just loved

and supported and they all loved her right back. Karen’s special kids, and this is some but by no

means all, include Shelly Forrester, Jason & Paddy Forrester, Ashlee Taylor, Jayme Rickard,

Keli’s sister Brandi Cosper-Johnson, Allison Williams, April Targa, Beth Alferink. It tickled her

to no end that she was “birthday twins” with April’s daughter. Karen loved nurses and thanks to

Keli, she spent a lot of time with them. Seeing or hearing about Yewon, Sorn, Jen, and Lolo

always made her day. She loved when nurses would come by for porch beers and would sit and

talk for hours. She enjoyed that so much - you know who you are & you made a difference for

her.

Keli would like to extend extreme gratitude to her cousins Jaymie & Jason, for being right there

through it to the end, a second time.

Aunt Donna & Uncle Ron – always there, through the good, the not so good and through two of

the worst times ever and you don’t have to keep showing up, but you do and I thank God for you.

An extra special thank you to Hospice de la Luz – Dr. Joy Lovette, MD, Rosemary Garcia,RN,

Christine Baca, Krystal Morales, Roberto Anchondo, Rosie Sanchez, Danielle Pete – who went

above and beyond for Karen’s care and to support Keli.

There are no words for how much Karen will be missed. The Karen and Keli show, 48 years

strong, has come to an end, like good shows do. Karen’s wish was to be interred with Wes at the

Santa Fe National Cemetery. Her service will be held there, with family and friends to gather at

the family home after, date and time to be determined. If you are inclined to make a donation in

her memory, Veterans and Dogs held a special place for her.