Karlie Jean (Illg) Slaven

 Karlie Jean (Illg) Slaven

April 3, 1980-January 22, 2018

Karlie Jean Slaven of Plainfield, Indiana died Monday, January 22, 2018 at Hendricks Regional Health, Danville, Indiana.  Born on April 3, 1980 in Indianapolis, Indiana, she was the daughter of Karl C.  Illg, Jr. and Merle Jean Safford Illg. Karlie graduated from Brownsburg High School in 1998 and was active in the band, theater, speech team, and show choir.

After one year of college at IUPUI, Karlie pursued several jobs such as working at as a dispatcher at Maxim Crane Works, Central States Trucking, multimodal transportation, and at Cummins Midstates Power and Refrigeration as a service writer where she was recognized as Employee of the Year in 2006.  Karlie met Micheal J. “Mike” Slaven when he visited his former coworkers at Cummins.  Their love story began that day.  On September 2, 2005, they were married at Hendricks County Courthouse on their lunch break the day before Mike was deployed for six weeks with the Indiana National Guard mission for Hurricane Katrina Relief.

Karlie embraced her role as a loving military wife, mother of two children, working in the Indiana University Office of Research Administration initially as an office coordinator.  She found her niche supporting grant proposal processing and went back to college in the online programs at Indiana Wesleyan earning an associate degree and then a bachelor degree while working full time.  She earned Certified Research Administrator grants certification and was promoted at Indiana University to Manager, Proposal and Awards Service, Office of Research Administration.

Karlie had tenacity and drive for perfection in all pursuits.  Family and faith was important to her.  She was a wonderful cook who made the best breaded tenderloins in town and was as generous with her portions of food as the love that she shared with friends, family, aunts and uncles, cousins, and co-workers.

Karlie is survived by her husband, Mike Slaven, son, Michael Christian Slaven, daughter, Milie Jean Slaven, brother, Kerry C. (Mandy) Illg, and nieces Carter M. and Parker C. Illg, along with her parents and paternal grandparents Karl C. Illg, Sr. and Frances L. Jordan Illg, and her beloved rescued chiweenie dogs, Jax and Penelope, and numerous aunts, uncles, and their children, too.

Memorial arrangements are entrusted to Hall-Baker Funeral Home, 339 East Main St., Plainfield, IN 46168. Calling will be 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018 and funeral on Friday, January 26 at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Maple Hill Cemetery, Plainfield.  Please make donations to the Karlie Slaven Memorial fund in care of Indiana Member credit union 7110 West 10th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46214

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karlie Jean (Illg) Slaven, please visit our floral store.