Mrs. Carla Carper Boyden

Mrs. Carla C. Boyden, 66, Galesburg, died at 5:12 am Thursday September 13,, 2018 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

She was born June 5, 1952 the daughter of John G. Carper and Barbara A. (Carper) Fensterman. She married Scott Wiser Boyden of Sheffield, Illinois on August 5, 1972 in Buda, Illinois.

Carla is survived by her two sons Andrew W. (Ann) Boyden of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Alexander W. (Michelle) Boyden of Iowa City, Iowa; her daughter Kara C. (Scott) DeGraff of Tampa, Florida; her five grandsons Scott W. Boyden, Matthew W. Boyden, Joshua W. Boyden, Owen S. DeGraff, and William W. Boyden; her two granddaughters Cora C. DeGraff and Avery L. Boyden; her older sister Christine K. (Robert) Huff of Piedmont, South Carolina.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband – the love of her life.

Carla’s intense sense of family was fomented during her childhood in Buda and watching her father work on the Carper Farm.  She graduated from Western High School and later from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, where she studied English Literature and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

A Galesburg resident since 1984, she was a member of First United Presbyterian Church, Mosaic Club, and the HO chapter of PEO. She was a fixture at bowling league and drove the Galesburg to Peoria St. Jude Run trail van for many years. Routinely involved in education within the community, Carla served on several District 205 advisory committees, participated in “reading buddies” with young children at Nielson and Gale Elementary Schools, and was a member of the Knox County Day Nursery Board for fifteen years.

She was a member of Soangetaha Country Club, served on the Soangetaha Golf League Board, and participated in many area charity golf events. Carla did not just play golf, she was a golfer. Competitive, fiery, always up for laughs and some teasing, she relished being out on the course with her friends, her “good birdies” golf girls. She treasured the friendships she made in Galesburg, and those dear friends will never truly comprehend how much their love meant to her.

Carla fiercely loved her husband Scott, absolutely adored their three children and their spouses, and was over the moon for their seven incredible grandchildren. Doting on – and bragging about – her family was a favorite pastime. Carla’s grandchildren will dearly miss their Nini.

Visitation will be 4 to 7p.m. Monday September 17th, 2018, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Service, Galesburg Chapel.  Funeral will follow at 11a.m. Tuesday September 18th at the chapel.  Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.

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