Karen Kay Campbell (1939-2019)

CAMPBELL, BOHLEN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 7/13/2019 at 17:25:46

KAREN KAY (BOHLEN) CAMPBELL Cedar Rapids

Karen Kay (Bohlen) Campbell, 80, of rural Swisher, died June 26, 2019, at West Ridge Care Center in Cedar Rapids after an eight-year battle with cancer. Burial with a private family memorial will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. There will be no visitation. Karen was born on Feb. 16, 1939, to Joseph and Dorothy Bohlen in Algona, Iowa. She graduated from Boone High School and received her teaching degree from the University of South Dakota. After college, she was a flight attendant in Kansas City for TWA, but returned to teaching in Colorado Springs because she missed the classroom. On June 16, 1963, Karen married Ronald Campbell of Colorado Springs. They had two daughters, Lisa Kay (Campbell-Evans) and Sarah Lynn (Campbell-Williams). After her children were born, Karen chose to be a stay-at-home mother and dedicated her life to making a beautiful home and family. Her husband's career took the family from Colorado to Sioux City, Minneapolis and finally to Swisher, where they resided for the past 42 years. Karen was known for her strong devotion to family, her deep love to her two granddaughters, Emily and Erica Williams (Sarah), her green thumb, home decorating and her delicious cooking. She never met a person who didn't love her. Her most recent milestones were her 80th birthday celebration with her family in February and her 56th wedding anniversary with her devoted Ron on June 16, 2019. Karen is survived by her husband; daughters, Lisa (Tracey) of Omaha, Neb., and Sarah (Charles) of Walford; and a sister, Marcia Silha (Edward) of Austin, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society or hospice of choice.

Published in The Gazette on June 29, 2019