Karen Ponce

karen ponce

October 29, 1955 ~ July 9, 2022

Born in: Detroit, Michigan
Resided in: Midlothian, Texas

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven – Matthew 5:16

Karen always said that she struggled during her teen and young adult years to understand why God would not heal her from her disability. It was a topic of great frustration and doubt for her during those early years of her life.

Then one day (as she recounted to many people) the Lord asked her, “Karen, do you think people notice you in this chair?”, to which she replied in her mind, “Well, of course people notice me in this chair. I stick out like a sore thumb.” The Lord then brought the above Bible verse to mind, replying, “Exactly. This is your spotlight. Let that light shine for me.”

There is no better anecdote from Karen’s life to summarize her approach to living. She believed that her job in this life was to be an ambassador for Christ, and that she had the privilege of being a highly visible ambassador because of her physical disabilities.

She began this mission for Christ on October 29, 1955. Born to Ann and Bernard Scott, she was a light and joy to the young couple. Around her first birthday, though, Ann noticed that Karen was not standing and walking as she should. Being ever the advocate for her children, Ann took Karen to many doctors, almost all of which agreed that Karen would not live past her fourth birthday. They encouraged Ann to emotionally disconnect from Karen by placing her in a state hospital so that Karen’s death would be easier on the young mother. Continuing to advocate for Karen, Ann finally found one physician who told her, “I do not know exactly what’s wrong with your daughter, but I do know that you need to teach her to do everything she can do before someone tells her she can’t.”

Mulling over this advice, Ann went to her own mother for counsel. Within that pivotal conversation, her mother said something that would forever impact the way she raised Karen: “Ann, if she cannot run with her legs, you need to teach her to run with her mind.” From that day forward, Ann set out to raise Karen just like any other child, offering her every opportunity she could to grow and discover. Karen soon learned to walk with the support of leg braces, later transitioning to full-time wheelchair use in elementary school. And as she continued to grow and discover the few things she could not do, she discovered far more things that she could do. It was not long until she became the oldest of four children—Robert, Susan, and Sandra. She loved to tell stories of being the oldest and baby-sitting when her parents were out. From learning to play organ to painting and visiting Europe, Karen grew up to be an independent and free-thinking woman despite suffering from muscular dystrophy.

Wanting to continue her studies, Karen decided that she would attend university. With disabilities rights following on the heels of civil rights, University of Houston had attempted to make most of their classrooms wheelchair accessible, a boon for Karen. While at U of H, she studied special education, earning both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education in the field.

It was also during this time that Karen met her husband, Thomas Ponce. When they first met, Tom was dating one of Karen’s roommates. Every time Tom would show up to their house, however, the roommate would slip out the back door because she did not know how to tell him she wanted to break up. As Tom would sit and wait for his soon to be ex-girlfriend, Karen would chat with him. Soon, Tom started to come over specifically to see Karen, and before long the two were dating, engaged, and married.

Once she graduated with her MEd, Karen began to job hunt, landing an interview at Houston Independent School District. Upon arriving for her interview in the HISD administration building, she discovered that she had been scheduled to meet the committee in a room that was not wheelchair accessible. She was forced to wait in the lobby for about an hour as they scrambled to find a room that could accommodate everyone. The interview, once it finally started, consisted of a long discussion of disability access and how that plays into the world of education. She was hired on the spot.

For the next thirty years of her professional life, Karen worked predominantly at T. H. Rogers School. Helping to create connections from the community to her students with multiple impairments, she was a bridge for students and families between the structured world of school and life after graduation. Speaking from a wheelchair herself, Karen possessed a strong credibility, discussing living with disabilities from a personal perspective. She also, in partnership with Dr. Deborah Carr, helped found Homerun Hitters International, a non-profit that serves those with severe and profound disabilities.

Yet Karen’s professional work was only a small part of her life during that period. From 1982-1989 Karen gave birth to three children—Christopher, Timothy, and Elizabeth. These births did not come without great trial. When she first became pregnant in late 1981, she was encouraged to terminate the pregnancy for medical reasons. The team of physicians told her that either the child would not make it to term, or she would end up in an iron lung before dying herself.

Karen had a choice to make, and she chose life. She was determined that she would give her baby every shot at life, even if that meant that she would die in the process. On May 25, 1982, both mother and baby came out of the operating room alive and well to the shock of her physicians. God repeated this miracle two more times, giving Karen the opportunity to testify to the power and greatness of God.

As her children grew into adults, Karen continued to sew into both their lives and the lives of those around her. She was an active participant in Bible Study Fellowship, as well as a leader and teacher at Houston’s First Baptist Church and, later, Bethel Independent Presbyterian Church. While life continued to toss more and more challenges in her path, Karen accepted each of them with the grace that can only be found through the Spirit of God.

After finishing her last school year in 2008, Karen decided to retire from teaching and focus her efforts on investing in the lives of others outside of a school setting. She moved in with her son Tim in Huntsville, Texas, and became an active member of University Heights Baptist Church. While in Huntsville, she partnered with local non-profits to host disABILITY expos, tabling events where she and the organizations could connect families with disability resources in the surrounding community.

Karen’s life took a turn in 2012 when she discovered that she had grade III uterine cancer. Her oncologist counseled her with compassion, letting her know that it was a very large possibility that she would not survive surgery, but that surgery was her only shot at living. Once again, Karen was faced with a choice, and she—again—chose life. Defying all odds, Karen not only survived the surgery but when the cancer was “staged,” it was discovered that it was only in stage 1 of growth, a supposed impossibility given that it was diagnosed with grade III aggression. Throughout the whole experience, every person she encountered was told of God’s faithfulness, power, and goodness.

Just before her surgery, Karen experienced the joy of the birth of her first grandchild, Ezra, another blessing that came from her commitment to choose life. In the following years, she was blessed with nine additional grandchildren— Lily, Emily, Evelyn, Titus, Eden, Othniel, Henry, Moses, and Tabitha. Karen always saw her grandchildren as the crowning jewel in her life, the greatest testimony to God’s power to do the impossible, a whole new generation that—according to many experts she encountered—should not exist.

From 2012 to 2022 Karen lived with both her son, Tim, and her daughter, Beth. During that time, she had the joy of living with her grandchildren, watching as her own children became parents. During that time, she lived in College Station, Denton, Bryan, Arlington, and Midlothian, Texas, moving with her kids as they established their families and careers.

From January-July 2022, Karen spent a significant amount of time in the hospital due to an abdominal infection. Despite multiple attempts to drain the infection and treat it with antibiotics, abscesses continued to form, leading to longer and longer hospital stays. This confinement to her hospital room, though, did not stop Karen from fulfilling her mission of being a light to others. Even in the last week of her life after she had lost the ability to speak, she continued to shine, with one nurse who helped Karen eight weeks prior recounting their late-night conversations about God and his goodness.

As Beth Moore podcasts and worship music played in her room in the ICU, the gospel continued to be proclaimed to everyone who entered Karen’s sphere. On July 9, 2022, Karen completed her God given mission, leaving her role as an ambassador for Christ in this world and going to live with him eternally. It was, and will always be, her greatest desire that you, reader, would see her life and glorify our Father in heaven.

Services

Memorial Service: July 23, 2022 10:00 am

Callaway-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Center
3001 S College Ave
Bryan, TX 77801

979-822-3717
https://callawayjones.com

Interment: July 23, 2022 11:00 am

Wellborn Cemetery
4119 Greens Prairie Road
College Station, Texas 77845

979-822-3717

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Memories Timeline

Guestbook

  1. I was so sorry to hear about your mom. I enjoyed our time so much in youth ministry.
    She surely was a light for Christ. Such an amazing will to live and live well with Christ.

  2. Heaven is a better place with Karen there! She was such an inspiration with her never ending determination & accomplishments in life. May God provide your family with peace & comfort to endure the days ahead. When you see a butterfly, say hello, as it is Karen visiting you from above. May the solace of our Heavenly Father ease all sorrows. She will remain in our hearts forever! (Her cousin in Ohio)

  3. Thank you, Beth, Tim, and Chris for streaming Karen’s very meaningful service. As her pastor reminded us, Karen knew her purpose was to be an ambassador for life in Christ, a purpose which you, your spouses, and your children have the privilege of continuing. Tim, thank you for sharing your conversations with your Mom that physical death is a merciful gift that through faith we may live forever with GOD. Thank you, too, Beth and Chris, for highlighting the fact that Karen was a fighter – never running from the battle, but always choosing life. May we be strengthened by Karen’s prayers from heaven through the Holy Spirit to stay in the battle. Hebrews 7:25 Romans 8:26

  4. Thank you for sharing Karen’s life story. It was a powerful testimony to read how God brought forth 2 generations that she lived to see inspite of her illness and disability.
    Our condolences to Beth, Tim, Chris and their families.

    Love,

    Rohan, Beth, Zachary and Zoë

  5. LOVE MY SISTER she was my friend,my teacher, my inspiration, my confidant, my supporter and I couldnt have asked for a better older sister ! She continues to amaze and will bring this to heaven. Her spirit is eternal she will bring love here there and EVERYWHERE ❤

  6. An amazing tribute to an incredible woman of faith, courage, and perseverance. She leaves a legacy in her children and grandchildren that will continue to reap kingdom benefits.

  7. Dear Beth, Chris, and Tim,
    I am so sorry that you have lost your dear, sweet mom. What a wonderful description of her in the beautifully written obituary! I know she was a big inspiration to me during our years together at Bethel! God bless you three! Love you! Janet Vance Dundas

  8. To Beth, Chris and Tim,

    I extend my condolences for your loss. Your mom and were colleagues at T.H. Rogers School, and to me, she was like an angel on earth. When I first started out at the job, I felt like a mouse in a maze. It was nice to have Karen to help guide me, advise me and console me. Your mom had always been a true advocate for individuals young and old with disabilities. On the day that she announced her retirement, one of the things that came to mind was that T.H. Rogers was losing one of its fine jewels. Many blessings to all of you, and may Karen rest in Heaven among all of the angels.


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