Carla was born on Sept. 20, 1939 in Duncan, Okla. to Arthur and Alyne (Edmonson) Sweet. She graduated from Tonkawa High School in 1957. Carla graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.A. in Humanities, where her undergraduate work centered in art, philosophy and English, in 1960; and in 1965 she earned an M.A. in English. She was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi. While her husband worked professionally, she raised her family and held many part-time and full-time jobs that gave her an outlet for her love of writing and history. She was the Director of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society at Chadron State College in Nebraska and taught at various colleges. Carla went to work for Oklahoma State University for the Agricultural Communications Department in 1978, where she utilized her talents as a writer and editor and eventually became managing editor. After retiring from Oklahoma State University in the fall of 2000, Carla became a full time partner with her husband, Dale, in the development of the Washington Irving Trail Museum in Stillwater, Okla. Carla was married for almost 52 years to Dale Edward Chlouber, and valued motherhood, tranquility, and intellect. Above all, she was proud of her family and was a passionate mother and grandmother. She was active in the OSU Emeriti Association and enjoyed being a part of the Stillwater and surrounding community. She loved art, music and literature and sharing that love with her children and grandchildren.

More recently, while enjoying retirement, Carla published a biography in 2008 on the history and roots of cowboy music in Oklahoma titled "The Oklahoma Cowboy Band."