Karen Archer Obituary

Karen Elsie McKinley-Archer was born on October 18th, 1962, to her parents, Shirley Hyden-McKinley and Stanley McKinley. She was raised in a home where her parents were strict and her siblings were mostly grown by the time she was in school. Karen attended catholic schools during her formative years and was brought up in the Catholic faith. She was very driven to succeed at an early age, so she worked many jobs while attending school. She graduated from Badin High School in 1981 and had gone on to complete a few years of college education before she departed from that. Karen had met her husband, Donald Leroy Archer, Jr., in 1974 when he was 13 years old and she was 12. They got married on May 12th, 1986, and had 4 kids together. The kids' names are Dereck Ryan, Kyle Stanley, Shirlann Jasmine, and Joshua Kabruend. Karen was someone who worked hard to give her kids the things that they needed. She was so driven that she became the general manager of both Arby's and Long John Silver's in the 1990s and early 2000s. She would walk from Trenton to Hamilton every day she worked, and would never complain about it as long as her kids were taken care of. Even when she had to stop working and support her husband, who ended up having a stint put in his heart, she never once faltered from her role as the steady head of the household. Karen worked jobs such as Ohio Casualty, Arby's, KFC/Long John Silver's, and Taco Bell. She was a manager of both Arby's and KFC/Long John's and was someone who took her job very seriously. She was tough with her employees, but was also fair with them, as she wanted the best effort from them and wanted to see them do well, despite the environment that they worked in. There were times when Karen had to run the lines by herself at Long John's because there wasn't anyone who could come in, and she did that successfully and never once let it get to her. Karen loved many things in her lifetime, and had many favorite things that defined her time here. Game shows like Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right were some of her favorites, as she watched them every day that they came on TV. She loved shows like The Young and the Restless, Passions, Law and Order: SVU, Touched by an Angel, American Idol, Keeping Up Appearances, and 7th Heaven. She loved networks like The Food Network, Lifetime Movie Network, The Game Show Network, and the Hallmark Channel. Karen loved to play Yahtzee, Bingo, and Solitaire, or board games like Tribind or Monopoly with her friends and family. Richard's Pizza, Taco Bell, White Castle, and Jelly's Drive-In were some of her favorite restaurants, and she would have Coca-Cola or Pepsi with her food that she would order there. Karen loved Shawn Michaels of WWE fame, as he was someone she knew in her past, and was happy to see his success in her brand. Karen ended up having complications in her later years due to all the work she did, and ended up being in a nursing home for the remainder of her life. She was someone who liked things her way or no way, but had her reasoning for that. She became a grandmother in 2018 when her first granddaughter, Brianna Kaylee Styles, was born, and this changed her whole dynamic with her life. She loved all her grandkids and would be really excited when she got to see them at both the nursing home and at the church she attended. Karen became a member of Freedom House Ministries in 2019 and fully converted to the true Christian faith through there. She became deathly ill going into the 2020s and held on as long as she could. Karen finally passed from this world on May 2nd, 2025, and went peacefully with no pain and suffering attached. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Shirley and Stanley, and her husband, Donald (Bud). She is remembered by her kids, Dereck Ryan Archer, Kyle Stanley Archer, Shirlann Jasmine Archer, and Joshua Kabruend Archer. Dontae Causey is her adopted godson and has been with the family since 1999. Karen had 4 grandkids who remember her, and those are Brianna Kaylee Styles, Xavier Kennedy Styles, Rosemary Leanne Strunk, and Kalem Ryan Archer. Karen had a variety of other people who are honorary members of the family who are Kennedy Styles, Aubrey Strunk, Chemeil Causey, Sekou Causey, Terrell Causey, Leroy Homer Glenn Montgomery (Bubby/Pablo), James Slone, and Leroy Dale Puckett. She has a wide array of friends from Huntington Court who remember her and love her. Her church family at Freedom House also loved and will remember her. Visitation is from 9:00 am until 11:00 am, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Walker Funeral Home - Butler County, 532 S. Second Street, Hamilton (45011). The funeral service will immediately follow the visitation beginning at 11:00 am. Friends and family will gather to share memories, find solace in one another's company, and honor the legacy she leaves behind. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, 1602 Greenwood, Hamilton, Ohio 45011. To share a memory of Karen or leave a special message for the Archer family, please click the "Tribute Wall" tab above and to the right, enter the information, and click "Save Post." Walker Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the Archer family during this difficult time. Please call 513.251.6200 or visit www.HerbWalker.com for additional information. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karen Elsie Archer, please visit our floral store.