Karla Falter

Karla Jeanne (Nivison) Falter passed on Sunday, August 16, 2020 at North Idaho Hospice in Coeur d’Alene. She valiantly fought ovarian cancer for four years with strength and grace.  Karla was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, daughter, sister, and cousin and will be missed more than words can express.

Karla was born (1942) and raised in Wichita, Kansas to parents Francis and Marguerite Nivison.  Throughout her childhood she was active in Girl Scouts and served as a leader in high school.  She graduated Wichita West High School, where she participated in student government and numerous vocal and drama productions.

Karla attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas in Elementary Education where she met the love of her life, C. Michael Falter, the first day of their freshman year.  Karla and Mike were married in 1963 in Manhattan, Kansas.  In 2020 they celebrated the 60th anniversary of their meeting.

Their early years of marriage were spent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Karla started her career as an elementary school teacher while Mike attended University of Pittsburgh.  They moved to Moscow, Idaho in 1966, where she received her Masters’ degree in Special Education from the University of Idaho.  Karla was an outstanding teacher who touched the lives of many young people over her career.  In 2000 she retired from a 25-year teaching career in the Moscow School District.

Karla and Mike raised three daughters in Moscow and had many happy adventures together traveling, camping, skiing, and boating.  As a couple, they later settled in Bayview, Idaho on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, and spent winters in Tucson, Arizona enjoying the sunshine and close friends in the area.  They enjoyed time together traveling, RVing, playing golf, and spending time with friends and family.  For many years they pursued their shared love of boating in the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Karla was a wonderfully creative and artistic person.  She was a master at the visual arts, including quilting, watercolor painting, sketching, paper crafting and wood carving.  Her lifetime passion was quilting, and she left a legacy of over 50 quilts for her family and friends to enjoy as well as countless others for charitable organizations.  Many of her quilts were recognized with awards at quilt shows over the years.  She especially delighted in sharing her quilting skills and knowledge with her daughters and granddaughters.  She loved participating in the Palouse Patchers quilt group in Moscow and was also active in the quilting community in Tucson.

Karla highly valued the friendships she developed over the course of her life.  She was especially loved for her thoughtful kindness and her droll sense of humor.

Family was always at the center of her life.  She loved to cook and bake as a way of bringing people together.  Her children and grandchildren valued her listening ear, words of wisdom, and keen insights, always given with a loving smile…and laughter sprinkled in as well.

She is survived by her husband Michael Falter; daughter Meg (Falter) Findley and son-in-law Bryan Findley; daughter Katie (Falter) Carrigan and son-in-law Tim Carrigan; daughter Ellen (Falter) Weygint and son-in-law Allen Weygint; and grandchildren Michael Findley, Nathan Findley, Natalie Carrigan, Olivia Carrigan, Conner Weygint, and Will Weygint.

Karla’s family would like to thank the Hospice of North Idaho for the loving care that they provided during the past year, and suggest donations to the Hospice in lieu of flowers: https://www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org/donate/.