Carolyn Valerius, age 76, of Manhattan, KS, died July 3, 2023, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan.
She was born April 21, 1947, in Clay Center, KS, the daughter of James Stanley & Jane (Eustace) Stanley.
While she was born in Clay Center, KS she lived her early life in California & Florida. She graduated from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, FL and then attended the Gulfport Academy beauty school where she became a hairstylist.
She was married to Bud (James B.) Valerius on April 30, 1970 in St. Petersburg. They raised their family there until May 1979 when they moved to Manhattan to be closer to her parents.
Bud & Carolyn started Economy Electric in 1980. While he did the electrical, she ran the office & took care of the house & the children.
Family, friends & animals were her main passions during her life. She was very artistic & was always looking for new ways to express her talents, whether it was through crafts or cooking & baking.
Survivors include her husband Bud & their three children: Troy Valerius and his wife Heather of Phoenix, AZ, Eryn Schafer-Valerius and her husband Jason of Downingtown, PA and Brandon Valerius of Wichita, KS; her four grandchildren: Parker Valerius & his wife Calli of Phoenix, AZ, Spencer Valerius & his wife Maddie of Brandon, Suffolk, Cooper Valerius & Tanner Valerius both of Phoenix, AZ; her two sisters Marilyn Thurlow and her husband David of Wakefield, KS and Sue Stanley of Glastonbury, CT; her two nieces & nephew & grandnieces & grandnephews: Amanda(Thurlow) & Dustin McCosh and Sophia & Logan of Greeley, CO, Allison(Thurlow) & Tracy Copenhaver and Téa, Nevaeh & Ryan of Wakefield, KS and Justin & Brittnye Thurlow and Macey of Wakefield, KS; and also her best friend/third sister of almost 60 years, Pinky Helgeson of Tierra Verde, FL.
Although she will be greatly missed here, we know that she was greeted in heaven by her parents, her brother-in-law Greg Kelley, her many beloved pets and lots of friends. We are sure they are all sharing stories & watching over the rest of us.
No services are planned at this time.
The family suggests memorial contributions in memory of Carolyn to the T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter or the Good Shepherd Homecare & Hospice Inc. Contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.