Street Talk: Northern Nevada's first female casino bar manager doing well

When Karen Gasper first visited with us back in 1987, she was Karen Mack and part of the reason for our visit then was the fact that Karen was the "first ever" female casino bar manager in Northern Nevada.

"I ran the bar at what was then the Mother Lode casino and is now the Carson Station," said Karen, as we began our visit. "I started at the Ormsby House working for Clark Russell back in 1972. After he left the Ormsby House he bought the Mother Lode and renamed it the Carson Station. I worked for him until 1993."

Before we tell you where Karen works these days, we'll tell you that Karen is married to Ron and when we did that Street Talk column some 14 years ago, Karen did note that she was dating a "used-car salesman" named Ron, a guy I've known for about 10 years myself.

"We met at the Carson City Capital Club where I was bartender," said Karen happily. "Ron used to come in and sit at the bar. He hounded me for a date for almost three months before I said yes. That was 14 years ago and we've been together ever since."

They got married in Carson City and will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary Oct. 23.

"We'll celebrate quietly in town," she added. "Go to dinner and a show. Nothing spectacular. We're homebodies."

We were visiting in their three-bedroom west-side home that was "Al Seeliger's old house" and Ron was there too.

"I bought this home in 1978 and did some remodeling, and we live here with our dog, Otis, and our cat, Bob," said Karen. "Otis is 14 years old. I bought him from my sister as a birthday present for Ron. Bob is 10 years old. A friend gave him to us. That's it. Just the four of us and we're very happy together."

Ron is 55 and was born in Reno. Karen is 56 and was born in Cudahy, Wisc.

"I'm four months older than he is," said Karen. "Cudahy is a small steel town on Lake Michigan. We just went back for my 37th high school reunion in March. The town has grown since I left and is the size of Carson City now, about 55,000 people."

Her dad, John, was a manager at Ladish Steel Co. He started there at age 15.

"Dad died in 1970 at age 54 from a heart attack," said Karen. "My mom, Pat, is 81 and lives in Greenfield, a suburb of Milwaukee. I have one older brother Jim who lives in Cudahy. He's an engineer for Ladish. My younger sister Peggy lives in Minden with her husband Pete. Both work for Century 21 in Gardnerville."

Ron's dad is Al Gasper and some of you may have bought an automobile from him or Ron.

"He owned and operated Al Gasper Motors in Carson City for many years," said Ron. "He also owned Quality Mobile Homes (Now Applebee's) in Carson City. He's retired and lives in Washoe Valley. My mom, Dori, lives in Santa Maria, Calif."

Ron has one older brother, Bob, who lives in Carson City and is a "mobile home truck driver" for Homes of America.

"My younger brother, Terry, was killed in a car crash when he was 17 years old," added Ron with a touch of sadness. "My sister, Teresa, also lives in Carson City and she works for the state."

Ron is the security supervisor at the Carson Station, where we first met.

"I've been there 10 years now," he said. "Before that I worked in the automobile business for 23 years. I was dad's sales manager for most of those years."

Ron served in the U.S. Navy four years (1963-67) and was on the USS Iwo Jima.

"I was in Vietnam for a year in 1964," he said. "We were one of the first in Vietnam. I was real lucky and never got injured or hurt."

Ron "grew up" and went to school in Sparks. He played football for the Sparks Railroaders, both on offense and defense.

"I was a wide receiver and a lineman, but I played other positions too," he noted. "Back then you played whenever and wherever you were needed."

Karen came to Carson City in 1967 from Cudahy.

"My then-boyfriend and I left to go to San Diego and when we came through Carson City we stopped and spent a few days," she recalled. "We never left. We married and divorced in Carson City. He's still here and is a schoolteacher in town."

Today Karen is a day-shift bartender at Adele's.

"I love working there," she smiled. "Truly."

TWO HAPPY CAMPERS - What's "fun" for Ron and Karen?

"I'm a shooter," replied Ron. "I go with my brother and we shoot at targets," said Ron. "That's my hobby, and I enjoy doing that."

Karen had something to add to that.

"Ron collects junk," she laughed. "He collects the most useless stuff and throws nothing away."

Ron laughed as he shook his head in agreement.

"We also like to play the 25-cent poker machines," continued Karen. "And I do stained glass artwork for myself and friends, and I'm an avid reader. Mystery books, love stories and books like that. I'm a member of St. Teresa's Church, and I also volunteer for the Boys & Girls Club of Carson City."

Time for my departure but I must admit I was happy to see Karen again - I see Ron almost everyday so that doesn't count. I hope you enjoyed our visit with two of the people that make this the great community it is.

(Alan Rogers is a Nevada Appeal columnist. His message phone is 887-2430, ext. 402.)