Karen Stoltenberg Eckelbarger, Class of 1993

Karen Stoltenberg Eckelbarger ’93 died Nov. 24, 2020. Karen was born on March 25th, 1946 in Butler, PA to the late Carl and Mae Stoltenberg. Karen graduated from Otterbein College in 1993 while also working at the school full time as Administrative Assistant to the Associate Academic Dean. She was later promoted to Associate Assistant to the Registrar. Though her goal was to be a 1st grade teacher, she loved the opportunities to work with college aged students. She was always active with the college, working with Staff Council on many projects and as an advisor to Sigma Alpha Tau sorority as well as many other things. She also ran her own house cleaning business as a second job and to help support her family of three growing boys and their friends.

Karen was always active in the community and especially through Church and her sons’ various sports events. She started many programs and traditions that still exist such as Keep After Prom Safe (aka KAPS), team dinners for each of her sons’ high school football teams all through the 90s. She participated in many activities through Church and was even given the opportunity to teach first graders at Genoa Baptist School. She also helped the “Top Of The Hill” program at Genoa Church. “TOTH” is a monthly opportunity for those who are older than 50 to gather for each month for a pot “blessing” dinner and go on a day trip somewhere in Ohio, and enjoy time and fellowship with each other. She loved to organize yearly family re-unions we referred to as cousins’ weekends. She even wrote an amazing family cookbook that includes recipes from a very large family tree spanning many generations.

She is survived by her husband, Earl Eckelbarger. Her three sons; Doug ’98 (Mel), Brad (Melissa) and Jeff ’04 nine grandchildren; Liberty, Brody, Gage, Blake, Brock, Brooks, Max, Braxton and Tucker. As well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends. Along with her parents she was predeceased by her brother Carl.