Carmen Martin Keirn

Longtime Valley resident Carmen Keirn, age 100, passed away on Monday, July 31. A Memorial Service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 13, at the United Protestant Church in Palmer (713 South Denali Street, 745-3822). A reception will follow at the church.

Carmen Keirn was born May 24, 1917, in Zacatecas, Mexico. She died July 31, 2017, in Palmer, Alaska. Mother: Marie Martin. Her husband, Karris L. Keirn, went with the Lord in 1998. Carmen loved Jesus and was a Sunday school teacher for the Presbyterian church for a while.

She was a straight A student and had a career of teaching high school and college students for more than 30 years. She led tour groups in South America and other countries.

Carmen worked for the war department during World War II. She read and censored the mail by soldiers and sailors.

Carmen climbed the Lower 48’s highest peak, Mount Whitney, and the Valley’s Pioneer Peak with her husband. She loved people young and old and made a lot of friends because of her compassion and kindness for people. We loved her dearly.