Carlita Faye Pederson

Carlita Pederson left this earthly life on September 19 in a calm and peaceful way, surrounded by family. For her 57 years, she was almost never calm and peaceful. Vibrant, energetic, and spirited, Carlita bolted through a life filled with family, students, colleagues, and music.

Carlita was born the fourth child to Homer and Juanita Pederson of Everest, Kansas. She grew up on a small farm and attended small schools, enjoying the fruits of a rural upbringing while music took a foothold in Carlita’s inner being. Carlita enjoyed performing through school groups and at Zion Lutheran Church in Everest where Carlita was a lifelong member. After graduating from Horton High School and then Highland Community College, Carlita headed to what she liked to call ‘Manhappiness’ to forever be a K-State Wildcat. 

She chose music education for a career and that choice was to benefit a multitude of students. Carlita has taught kindergartners through university students. She worked in a military school district and a university school district. She taught in small districts and huge districts. She briefly worked in an administrative role, but her passion to be back in a classroom full of students guided her back to leading scores of students every day that were the beneficiaries of Carlita’s immense talent, enthusiasm, and heartfelt teaching. She was an active music director. She organized after school groups, like SONG (sound of a new generation) when she was teaching at Woodrow Wilson. She led numerous events around holidays, especially Veteran’s Day, that kept her various groups on the go. She partnered with neighboring districts to provide additional opportunities for her students to shine. Carlita judged Regional and State KSHSAA events and served as a clinician for various regional and state honor choirs. When the pandemic hit music departments all across America, Carlita developed music curriculum that attracted many students who normally don’t enjoy performance-based classes by implementing lessons in guitar and drums. To no one’s surprise, Carlita was honored multiple times from various professional organizations. She won Master Teacher of the Year, the Bob Srack Excellence in teaching, the NCKMEA Elementary Level Outstanding Music Teacher and was named the Kansas Teacher of the Year in Manhattan-Ogden, and most recently for De Soto public schools in 2022. Carlita’s career spanned 34 years where she taught thousands of students, one hundred plus music education students, and mentored over thirty, yes thirty, student teachers.

Carlita was the family organizer in the Pederson family. She loved being a part of a big family and she could host a holiday or birthday get together that left every family member appreciative of that special gift she had. When it came to her nieces and nephews, Carlita knew how to be the silliest person in the room, and how to listen to their struggles and give heartfelt, wisdom-laced, advice. Although the nieces and nephews tried hard, defeating Carlita in a game of Seinfeld trivia was not at all likely. When the family played a game of ‘Celebrity’ if you got Carlita on your team, your chances of winning doubled. When her dad moved to assisted living in Topeka, Carlita stepped in and championed Homer's every need with immense care and love.

Carlita’s friends also benefited from her organizational talents. Tailgates with Carlita were going to feature her dynamite pretzel rods and a zesty dip that was so addictive, it was called “crack dip”.  Trips to KSU bowl games, KMEA conventions, MAYHEM, and bunko games kept Carlita and her friends connected and happy. 

Carlita had the good fortune of meeting her future husband Rich due to one of those bunko games (If there truly was any bunko actually played is still a topic of discussion). Rich Menear and Carlita were soulmates and best friends for many years. The two eloped in front of Calita’s father, Homer, on June 16, 2022, and celebrated their wedding with friends and family in November of 2022.

Carlita was stricken with cancer the last two and half years of her life. It turned her days of picking out music to perform and guiding youth choirs into days of haggling with insurance companies, driving to, and enduring therapies for chemo, radiation and then infusions. In July, Carlita chose to participate in a clinical trial that would use Car-T Cell therapy. She suffered complications and never fully recovered from the attempted therapy. 

Carlita was preceded in death by her mother Juanita Behrenberg Pederson. Carlita is survived by her husband Rich Menear of Topeka.

Other survivors include her father, Homer Pederson of Topeka; siblings, Juanelle Garretson (Mike) of Salina, KS, Kirk Pederson (Deneen) of Tonganoxie, KS, Rick Pederson (Susan) of Aubrey, TX, and Paul Pederson (Jennifer) of Bentonville, AR; mother-in-law, Sally Chavez of Manhattan, KS; sisters-in-law, Barb Larrabee (Rick) of Menomonie, WI, Cindy Sabata (Ed) of Brainard, NE, and Deb Nauerth (Joel) of Manhattan, KS. Nieces and nephews, Shannon Abrams, Matt Garretson, Taylor Hartzell, Camden Garretson, Brooks Garretson, Adam Muldoon, Justin Muldoon, Sean Muldoon, Patrick Muldoon, Jacob Pederson, Jessica Pederson, Mary Stein, Joshua Pederson, Rachel Pederson, Hannah Volbretch, Ben Larrabee, Rachel Swanson, Emily Johnson, Blessed Hartoebben, Melissa Schopf, Crystal McKee, Noah Gray, and many great-nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Carlita’s life will take place at 1:30pm on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church, 7433 SW 29th St, Topeka, KS 66614. A reception with the family will follow the service in the fellowship hall. Carlita wanted us to remind you that purple is the greatest color of all as you choose your attire.

Inurnment will take place at a later date in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in Everest, Kansas.

Gifts may be made out to Carlita Pederson Music Education Fund, which will benefit students of music and music education, sent in care of Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 SW 6th Ave. Topeka, KS 66603. 

If you cannot attend in person, you can join the service via live stream at https://www.youtube.com/susannawesleytopeka.