FAYETTEVILLE — Doris Lee Elevier (Carnahan),

born Sept. 14, 1934, St. Louis, Mo., died April 24, 2020.

A beautiful soul has passed onto the next phase of her journey from this life on Earth. May she know peace.

Doris is survived by her three children who she loved dearly: Robert “Robin” H. Kern of Fayetteville, Ark., Dawn Lynn Gonzales of Prescott, Ariz., and Lisa Kim Netherland of Fayetteville, Ark.;, and five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her dear sister Joyce, several close cousins, and many dear friends.

Doris was a very special woman; vibrant, enthusiastic, curious, and in many ways a woman ahead of her time. She explored life and mastered new skills, rarely daunted by what she didn’t know, she simply set out to learn and grow.

Her passion for life and her willingness to share drew people to her. She enjoyed many friendships along her path, each one holding a special place in her heart.

Among her greatest joys were horses, dogs, organic gardening, and cooking — she excelled at these pursuits which often led to successful enterprises. In the 1960s she bred, guard-trained, and showed Dobermans in Chicago, winning numerous ribbons.

Doris’s desire to live a healthful lifestyle, her joy of cooking, and intense curiosity led her to pursue a sustainable lifestyle by growing meat and vegetables without chemicals. She eventually moved to Arkansas in 1971 where she bought a small farm and successfully raised rabbits, pigs, chickens, goats, and a beautiful garden completely chemical-free.

Other wonderful accomplishments during this time include soap making (lots of soap!). She once scented her soap with Juniper berries — the whole house and her children smelled like Gin! She cured rabbit hides, made cheese, preserved foods in every imaginable way and cooked spectacular, nutritious, delicious meals.

During the 1990s Doris was a much-loved vendor at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, where she made lifelong friends among her patrons and fellow farmers. A lifetime devoted to plants and animals brought an in-depth awareness and continuous pursuit of genetic improvement among the species she worked with. This knowledge resulted in award-winning Dobermans, rabbits, and ultimately irises, not to mention a bounty of excellent vegetables!

An avid lover of horses from an early age, Doris kept, trained and rode horses until her late 70s. Devi and Cheena, two of her favorite and most spirited horses gave Mom much joy and provided challenges that she so wholly embraced. While living in Arizona she joined an equestrian club where she forged cherished friendships, studied horsemanship, crafted custom bridals, and rode for miles exploring the high desert near Prescott. A dream fulfilled.

Thank you for being you and for loving each of us in so many beautiful ways.

Journey on peacefully precious Momma.