Funeral Services for Karen R. Widboom, of New Richland, will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland. The Reverend Paul Andree will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland, and one hour before services at the church. Friedrich Funeral Home, New Richland is assisting the family with arrangements.
Karen Ruth Schmuck was born to her parents, Kenneth and Alice Schmuck on September 10, 1952 in Luverne, Minnesota. She grew up on their family farm just north of Luverne. Church and school activities with friends filled her life. She attended and graduated from the Luverne Public School system.
After high school, she attended Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota for two years. From there she began working several secretarial positions in Pipestone and Slayton, Minnesota. She met her future husband, Patrick Widboom, while managing the office for State Farm Insurance agent Jim Jeans and realtor Dennis Carlson in Slayton.Karen and Pat were married at Karen’s childhood church, St. John Lutheran, on a stormy evening, December 27, 1975. They began their life together on Pat’s farm north of Slayton. Here she enjoyed a variety of craft projects and sewing. Karen worked at the Slayton International farm equipment company and later at the ASCS (Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service) office in Slayton. She also began selling Tupperware and Avon products during this time. Her love of Avon continued through August of this year — almost 40 years!
In 1984, they decided to discontinue farming so moved to Redding, California at the end of the year, but moved back to St. Cloud, Minnesota in December of 1985. Here Pat began working on his teaching degree at St. Cloud State University while Karen prepared for the arrival of their long awaited son, Michael who was born on May 10th, 1986.
Teaching took them to Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, and Cyrus, Moorhead and finally Waseca in Minnesota, where they have remained since 1997. During this time, she was a secretary to the Superintendent at Cyrus and a Para in the Moorhead, Waseca and NRHEG school districts.
For fun, Karen enjoyed sewing, craft projects, canoeing and camping in state parks. Summer trips to the Grand Canyon, Black Hills and Yellowstone were real family highlights! Flower arrangement from her garden were popular additions to Sunday worship at Trinity Lutheran Church. Karen died at the New Richland Care Center on Saturday, October 25, 2014.
Karen will be greatly missed by her family, husband Patrick of New Richland, son Michael Widboom and his wife Jen and daughter Jaedyn of Mankato, brother Allen Schmuck and his wife Jan of Sioux Falls, SD, and nephew Andrew Schmuck, his wife Nicolette and children Hudson, Norah and Camden, also of Sioux Falls.
Karen was preceded in death by her nephew, Ryan Schmuck as well as her parents, Kenneth and Alice Schmuck.