It is with great sadness that the family of Carla Marie (Pfefferkorn) Younger announces her passing from this life on Friday, June 26, 2026 while surrounded by her loving family.
Born on March 2, 1944 in Beloit, Kansas to Carl Henry Pfefferkorn and Gertrude Elizabeth (Wendell) Pfefferkorn, Carla’s early years were spent with her mother and extended family while her father served in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II. Upon her father’s discharge from active duty, the family moved back and made their home in Beloit. Carla attended St. John’s Catholic school for the majority of K-12. During her freshman and sophomore year of high school she moved to Amarillo, Texas where she attended a convent school and spent time in discernment while exploring a potential calling as a Catholic nun. After deciding that life as a nun was not for her, she returned home to finish high school.
Upon graduating from St. John’s High School in 1962, Carla attended Blackwell School of Practical Nursing in Blackwell, Oklahoma, earning a Licensed Practical Nurse degree. Carla started her nursing career at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend, Kansas, and later moved to Salina, Kansas to continue her career in nursing. It was in Salina where she would meet her future husband, Francis (Frank) Younger, and they would marry in May 1970. This union would produce three children; Lori, Rebecca and Matthew. The family would later relocate to Syracuse, Kansas where Carla worked night shifts at the Hamilton County Hospital. In spite of working nights, she always prioritized being present in her children’s lives, often foregoing sleep in favor of being present at their school functions and extracurricular activities. Carla couldn’t help being openly proud and boastful of her children and their achievements and having raised three college graduates.
In the late 1980s Carla returned to school to earn an Associates RN Degree in Nursing from Garden City Community College, and shortly after relocated to Garden City, Kansas for better career opportunities. She worked in many different areas of nursing during her career, some of which were home health care, nursing homes, mental health and various other hospital roles. After each of her children had left home; Carla returned to Salina. It was there she found what was likely the most personally rewarding position of her career, as a staff nurse at Saint Francis Ministries Boys Home, where her patients were troubled boys and young men from ages 6 to 18. Carla valued building and maintaining a strong rapport with the boys, often going the extra mile to provide emotional support and be a trusted presence in the boys’ lives.
Later in life she was blessed with three granddaughters; Ashley, Abby, and Ava; who were the joy of her senior years. When she could no longer care for herself, she was fortunate in relocating to Olathe, Kansas where she would spend the remainder of her life in close proximity to them. In spite of being wheelchair bound she always enjoyed being present in her granddaughters’ lives; whether spectating at their softball tournaments or supporting them in their music and theater passions by attending every performance her health would allow. She lived to attend the high school graduations of all three grandchildren and was present at Ashley’s college graduation from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.
Carla was preceded in death by her parents and husband. She is survived by her children; Lori (Younger) Strella and husband Scott, Rebecca (Younger) Malleck and husband Tony, and Matthew Younger, three granddaughters; Ashley Strella, Abby Strella, and Ava Strella, one sister; Diane (Pfefferkorn) Walle of Salina, Kansas, two brothers; Donald Pfefferkorn and wife Virginia of Bonneau, South Carolina, and John Pfefferkorn and wife Marilyn of Thibodeaux, Louisiana, one goddaughter; Michelle (Stafford) Lilly and husband Bill of Salina, Kansas, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at The Basilica of St. Fidelis in Victoria, with Fr. Curtis Carlson, OFM Cap. officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 7:00 on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and from 9:00 am until service time on Wednesday, at The Basilica. A vigil service and Rosary will be at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, July 7 at the funeral home. Inurnment will be in St. Fidelis Cemetery at a later date. Memorials are suggested to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Beloit with checks made payable to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Condolences and memories of Carla may be shared with her family at www.haysmemorial.com