ST. PAUL — Karen Sue Steinbacher, 84, longtime resident of St. Paul, and more recently of Olathe, entered eternal life at 9:52 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, at the K.U. Olathe Hospice House.
She was born March 5, 1941, in Parsons to Fielding S. and Eulalia M. (Moriarty) Hopkins. She grew up in St. Paul and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1959.
On Feb. 27, 1960, she married Charles E. Steinbacher at the St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. They were the parents of four children. They later divorced, and he died on Feb. 26, 2016.
Karen worked four years as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. For 28 years, she was employed by the Parsons Clinic as an accounts receivable clerk. Her last 20 years of employment were as the office manager for the Carson- Wall Funeral Home. Earlier, she had worked as a tax preparer for H&R Block.
She was devout in her faith and was a longtime member of St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. She currently was attending Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe. She was a member of the St. Francis Altar Society and served as co-president for five years. She taught CCD classes and served on the St. Paul city council for several years.
Survivors are four children, Cynthia Ann Schoenhofer (Mike) of Erie, Ellen Kay Holding (Don) of Joplin, Charles David Steinbacher of Erie and Michael Scott Steinbacher of Overland Park; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; a greatgreat- grandson; a sister, Janet L. Moore (Dale) of Olathe; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by two infant daughters, Karen Susan and Charlene; and a brother and sister-in-law, James D. and JoAnn Hopkins.
The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at the St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul with the Rev. Matthew Davied officiating. Burial will follow in St. Francis Cemetery.
The rosary will be prayed at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home in St. Paul. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friends may call at the funeral home after 1 p.m. Friday.
The family suggests memorials to the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in St. Paul. They may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the Carson-Wall Funeral Home, P. O. Box 272, St. Paul, KS, 66771.
