Karen Annette Gardner

Karen Annette Gardner passed away January 2, 2026 at her home in China Spring, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 63. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home with Pastor Stephen Dubois officiating. Ferron Williams, Bill Gipson, Bobby Carpenter, Doug Williams, Casey Williams, and Chris Rasmussen will serve as pallbearers. Interment will follow in the Mexia Cemetery.

Visitation with the family will be 5-7 p.m., Friday at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home.

Karen was born on July 6, 1962 in Teague, Texas to Wallace Arthur and Mildred Juanita (Melton) Gipson. She graduated from Teague High School and attended TSTI. On February 23, 1991, Karen married the love of her life, Leroy Mark Gardner, in Teague, Texas. They were blessed with two children, Rachel and Christopher.

Karen’s life was her family. She was a “stay at home “Mom”. Taking care of her children was the most important job she had followed by making sure their home was filled with love; it was more than just a house. Karen especially enjoyed Christmas with her family and making sure there were enough gifts for everyone was her goal. She was a loving, caring, and nurturing person who always put others first.

Karen’s other interests included embroidering, traveling, and she was a big fan of the Tasmanian Devil. Over the years, she has collected numerous items of the Tasmanian Devil.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wallace and Mildred Gipson; and son, Christopher Mark Gardner.

Karen is survived by her husband, LeRoy “Mark” Gardner; daughter, Rachel Anne Gardner; brothers, Ronald Gipson of Round Rock, TX and Bill Gipson of Fairfield, TX; sisters, Judy Ross of Rule, TX and Sharon McVay of San Antonio, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews.