Carey Sue Graber
Artist, business owner, mother, daughter, wife and sister, Carey Sue Graber was born April 13, 1963 in Wichita, KS. She grew up in Wichita and Memphis, Tennessee. Carey passed away on January 1, 2025 after battling cancer.
Carey was a creator. Her profession as a graphic designer and branding innovator required it, but it never stopped there. She always felt compelled to create -whether in her home studio, in her son Travis’ playroom, in her garden or in the kitchen. This was a direct legacy from her grandmother, Juanita Rains, who relentlessly conquered a myriad of art and craft media, and from her writer-painter mother, Arlene Rains Graber.
Carey’s formal art training and education was at the University of Kansas, where she earned a BFA in Visual Communications in 1985. Her professional career was launched at Bob Neace Graphic Design in Wichita. Carey remained friends with her early mentor throughout her life. During these years in Wichita, Carey co-founded the Wichita Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA), which continues today.
After working in Kansas City for a short time, around 1990 Carey became Senior Designer at Art & Sign in Lawrence, Kansas. This city and the surrounding prairie became Carey’s home for the rest of her life. After marrying, co-parenting two wonderful teens and starting a family of their own, Carey and then husband, Bob Treanor, moved to an 1860 farm house near Lecompton, Kansas. It was surrounded by 160 acres, 46 of which were native Tallgrass prairie, resplendent with Big Bluestem. Tallgrass Studios was born in this oasis in 2000. An office was carved out of the front room of the farmhouse where Monday morning strategy sessions started each week. During the first few years of the company, Carey also worked as an Adjunct Professor and Director of The Arts Group at the University of Kansas.
Tallgrass Studios quickly grew, creating brands and implementing social-marketing campaigns – of which Carey was especially proud. They tackled the topics of safe drinking among college students, mental-health issues in public schools, parent education in raising teens and end-of-life care issues.
In 2007, Carey became sole owner of Tallgrass Studios and moved back to Lawrence where the company eventually grew into its current location as one of the first tenants of the Warehouse Arts District. The open, lofty studio also became a lively stop on Lawrence’s Final Friday Arts Walk, introducing and supporting regional art accompanied by live spirited music, dancing, food and wine.
For the past fifteen years, Carey has lived and loved and created with fellow artist and soul mate, Stacy Bowman, alongside Pip and Josie, their two mixed Miniature Pinschers. Carey met Stacy – where many of the best conversations take place – on the front patio of Free State Brewery. It wasn’t long before Carey commissioned one of Stacy’s beautiful ceramic fountains. Over the next fifteen years, they formed a deeply spiritual and romantic bond, serving as muse to one another, creating art separately and together. Fittingly, the last art show at Tallgrass Studios was Luminous, featuring stunning art glass mosaic lamps made by the couple.
Of all of Carey’s creations, her greatest was son Travis Treanor, 28 years old of Nashville. Following his parents example, Travis was a child artist who spent hours drawing until the call of ice hockey took over at age eight. For the next ten years, Carey and family traveled to Kansas City for Travis’ practices and games. There was no more passionate cheerleader, nor fiercer critic than Carey – whether yelling for her son or at the ref! Travis grew into an amazing adult, now working as a hospitality recruiter and still getting on the ice whenever possible. Carey is at peace knowing he has found a supportive, intelligent life partner in fiancé, Anelise Sedlock.
Carey’s strength and spirit will always be with Travis, Anelise and Stacy, along with her mother, Arlene Rains Graber (Wichita), sisters, Shan Jabara (Wichita) and Penny Graber (Lawrence), nephew, Palmer Farrow, step-children, Rachel Treanor (Overland Park) and Joseph Treanor (Ardmore, OK). Carey also leaves her aunt and uncle, Mary and David O’Brien and cousins Kamila Magill VanderDyssel (Jeff), Brent Magill (Stephanie), Stefanie Magill Leniszewski (Steve), Colin O’Brien (Jennifer) and their families in the Seattle, Washington area and their sibling Molly (Jeff) Long of Overland Park, as well as cousins Lauren Rains Reinbold (Mark) of San Diego, Kristen Rains Hillis (John) Oklahoma City, Scott Rains (Julie) of Wichita and Brandi Biggs of Newalla, OK. Carey cherished her talented staff at Tallgrass Studios: Megan Miller, Shelly Albrecht, Jaylynn Miller and Jeralyn Ballard. She was also fortunate to have the most caring and adventurous of friends, whose love and support have been such a blessing (you know who you are.)
Carey’s family appreciates the loving care and guidance Carey and family received from Douglas County Visiting Nurses hospice services. Any donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to them at https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/NDE4NDc= or Lawrence Humane Society: https://lawrencehumane.org/donate/ or Van Go youth arts-based social service agency https://www.van-go.org/donate . A private family service is being held and a celebration of life will be held in the spring.
