Karen Williams

Karen Mathilde Williams, aged 85, passed away peacefully on Monday November 17, 2014 at St Theresa's at Oxbow Lake in Brooklyn Park from complications from pneumonia. She was with her children Craig, Theodore, and Robert, and their spouses Diane, Roxanne, and Laura. She lived in St. Paul Park since 1957 until recently.

Memorial services will be 11:00 am, Monday, December 29, 2014 at All Saint's Lutheran Church, 8100 Belden Blvd, Cottage Grove, MN with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Acacia Park Cemetery, Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Karen was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 1928, to John and Kora (Killi) Waugen. Her parents, both immigrants from Harstad, Norway, met, and married in Chicago. John won several awards for ski jumping while in Chicago. Sometime after her sister, Solveig, was born, her Mom brought the girls back to Norway while their father, John, got established.

He moved to Des Moines, Iowa and worked for Pittsburg Des Moines Steel Co. When the rest of the family rejoined John in Des Moines Karen started grade school knowing no English at all. She had to be a fast learner. Mom liked math, science and grammer. She liked subjects that had answers. She sang in the choir at school and church. After graduation from Roosevelt High School she went to the University of Iowa where she earned a degree in Chemistry with the goal of becoming a medical doctor.

While at the U of Iowa she met her future husband, Richard Williams in the Lutheran Campus Ministry student program. They were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines on June 10, 1950. Dick went to medical school and worked in family practice. While Dick did his residency in Duluth, Karen worked as a lab technician. From there, they lived for a year in Rothsay, MN before moving his practice to St. Paul Park, Cottage Grove, and Newport. In 1971 he built a large clinic with 2 partners that later became the Healtheast Cottage Grove Clinic.

Karen was married for 55 years and had 3 sons, Craig, Ted and Bob. She had 9 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. As a family they enjoyed skiing, riding horses, fishing in northern Minnesota and family vacations to the Rocky Mountains and elsewhere. The five were able to take a family vacation to Norway. Later after the kids were grown Karen and Dick took about 10 trips there.

Karen's hobbies included knitting, gardening and baking. Karen took classes in the Norwegian language and culture through the Sons of Norway. She was active in her church, Park Lutheran, which merged with All Saints Lutheran. Karen was on the church council, taught Sunday school, and tutored Hmong kids in English. Karen has always had an interest in people of all races. She said that she felt strongly that "we should accept people for who they are rather than judge them on the basis of outward appearance."