Carla D. Kipper, age 58, of East Dubuque, IL, passed away on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, surrounded by her family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 25, 2023 at St. Mary’s Church in East Dubuque, with Fr. Dennis Vargas officiating.  Burial will follow in the East Dubuque Cemetery.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the Miller Funeral Home in East Dubuque, where the parish rosary will be recited at 3:30 p.m.  Friends may also visit from 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. on Saturday at the church.

Carla was born on April 25, 1964 in Dubuque, IA, the daughter of Kenneth C. “Bud” and Dolores C. (Vandermillen) Arnold. She was a graduate of Wahlert High School, the class of 1982, and a graduate of Clarke University, the class of 1995.

Carla was formerly employed at William C. Brown Publishing Co. and Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co., both in Dubuque. She was a member of St. Mary’s Parish.

Carla, the youngest of six siblings, was endearingly referred to as the “shelf baby” at birth. With such a large family, and therefore limited space in the home, Carla was settled into a bassinet atop a dresser in the dining room. Consequently, a profound family orientation was imbued upon her at an early age. She grew up at “Camp America” on HWY 20 East (East Dubuque), a full-service restaurant, gas station, truck stop, repair shop, and twelve-unit motel run by her parents Bud and Dolores. Her family raised cattle and kept horses on 120 acres. She and her siblings enjoyed horseback riding. A fallen tree was seen as a treat to come across, as Carla would jump over them on her horse, Rusty. She often spoke fondly of times in the winter when she would get to freeze an ice-skating rink in the front yard. She could also be found spending time around Frentress Lake with her cousins whom she developed a close bond with in her adolescence.

Eager to begin a career in young adulthood, she started work in publishing with William C. Brown and made many lifelong friendships along the way. She stuck in the publishing industry for life, most recently enjoying her role and colleagues at Kendall-Hunt. Her adventurous spirit did not languish with time, though. For instance, she and a friend spontaneously decided to drive as far away as possible over an extended weekend, making it as far as Canada, and returned home before work began the next week. Carla also pursued a college education in her late twenties through the accelerated adult nighttime program at Clarke University, attaining a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Philosophy, all while working full-time. She graduated with high honors and, not long after, gave birth to her first child, Ben. At this time Carla took up the stay-at-home mom role, never missing an opportunity for all things active and educational. Around this time Carla also explored other hobbies, such as photography, in which she frequently turned to her love for the outdoors for inspiration. She had a penchant for capturing flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies. The pinnacle of her photographing experiences was undoubtedly what she referred to as her, “once-in-a-lifetime trip,” to Hawaii, surrounded by the lush landscape and a never-ending ocean skyline. Until long after the birth of her second son, Logan, she also documented binders full of photos of her children, preferring to immortalize her love for them from behind the lens.

Carla cultivated a fervent faith. She kept active in her community and parish through volunteer opportunities such as serving meals at the Maria House, involvement in various school functions at St. Mary’s Elementary School and East Dubuque High School, participating in Christian Experience Weekends, and with her great reverence for life, marching with her parish in pro-life demonstrations, just to name a few. In conjunction with a sense of humor that never dwindled, her aptitude for listening and patience made her a dear friend and confidant to many. She could also be found devoting herself to spending time present with God in her parish’s adoration chapel, often volunteering for the overnight shift and staying well past her scheduled time. Even in recent years after her diagnosis with cancer, Carla kept the faith, making it known that she wanted to keep “fighting the good fight” and bearing her cross with grace and dignity. She was an advocate for all, tended to stick up for the underdog, and lived by the golden rule of “Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.” She could frequently be quoted saying “It will be what we make of it,” and “God always answers our prayers; sometimes it’s not a ‘No,’ but rather ‘I have something better in mind.’” Carla took great pride in helping to take care of her own mother, Dolores, toward the end of Dolores’ life. She was honored to be able to provide her comfort in those final days and help “walk her home.”

Not least of the things Carla took great pride in was her role as a grandmother and soon-to-be mother-in-law. It gave Carla great joy to be able to get on the floor and interact with her granddaughter, blowing bubbles, eating marshmallows, playing with dolls, reading stories, and playing with the family dog, Chance. It was evident that Carla was extremely thoughtful and intentional in the gifts and activities she planned, as was demonstrated in her affinity for crafting. In her later years, she would meticulously wrap Christmas presents in personalized packages and volunteer to do others’ Christmas wrapping for them. Her creativity was also manifested during annual cookie painting and pumpkin carving gatherings, considered by her to be revered family holidays.

Throughout the years she enjoyed gardening, family time at her mother’s house around the dinner table or a campfire on the patio, cheering on her boys at their various sporting events and activities, attending plays, watching a good movie or musical, such as her beloved “Phantom of the Opera,” and a good game of Scrabble. Among others, one of Carla’s favorite quotes was by Maya Angelou, reciting “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel.” All those who knew Carla would attest to the fact that her embodiment of this saying, from the beginning of her life to the end of it, is perhaps the thesis of the legacy that she leaves behind.

Carla is survived by her two sons, Benjamin J. (fiancé, Katelyn McIntyre) Kipper and Logan M. Kipper, both of East Dubuque, IL; one granddaughter, Reagan Kipper; her siblings, Dan (Lesley) Arnold of Dubuque, IA, Valerie (Tom) Zalaznik of East Dubuque, and Vanessa Hoffmann of Dubuque; sister-in-law, Pam Arnold of Lancaster, WI; nieces, nephews; and her aunt, Dorothy (Donald) Bohnsack of Galena, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bud and Dolores; a sister, Vivian Arnold, a brother, Kelly Arnold, uncles, Daniel and Dale (Mary Catherine) Vandermillen, aunt, Diane Buhr and uncle, Vic Buhr.

The Kipper and Arnold families express sincere appreciation to the nurses and staff at Hospice of Dubuque and Finley Hospital for the excellent care given to their mother and sister. It was truly appreciated.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com©