Karen Joan Owen

Karen Joan Owen, 74, passed away September 2nd, 2022 at the Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, September 9, 2022 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home. Karen will be laid to rest in her hometown of Claremont, MN. Visitors will be welcomed at First Presbyterian Church in Claremont, starting at 2 pm on Saturday, September 10. Memorial services will begin at 3 pm, with burial to follow at Hillside Cemetery in Claremont. Following the burial, a light meal will be served at the church. Memorial contributions may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church in Claremont, MN. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.

Karen was born January 13, 1948 to John Henry and Helen Lucille (Leggett) Howieson in Waseca, Minnesota. As the twelfth of fourteen children, Karen learned to love and value family from an early age, the importance of which she impressed upon her own children and grandchildren. Growing up on the family farm, Karen also learned that hard work isn’t so hard when everybody does their part. Karen graduated from Claremont High School in 1966 and went on to attend the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Karen moved to Colorado Springs in September, 1970, where she met John Spannring. The two were married on September 4, 1971 at the First Presbyterian Church in Claremont, MN and made their home in Livingston, MT. John and Karen were married for 15 years until John’s passing in 1986. Karen met Don Owen in 1988 and the two were married on September 23, 1995. Karen always said that she felt lucky to have found the love of her youth and her love to grow old with.

Karen enjoyed spending time with her family and playing games with her children and grandchildren. She was always up to play a game of cribbage or put together a jigsaw puzzle. She was a skilled and prolific baker, whose cookies and pies were loved by all. She did not make cookies by the dozen, but by the dozens of dozens. They were, however, often eaten by the dozen. She had a great appreciation for words and language and was an avid reader who loved books and stories of all types. Her vocabulary was extensive, she was nearly unbeatable at Boggle, and she loved doing her daily crosswords.

Karen had a delightful, infectious laugh. When something really got her going, her laugh became a giggle that took her breath away. She loved singing and music in general. She sang in and directed the choir at her churches in Livingston and Claremont, and couldn’t stop herself from singing along to any song she knew. Karen was a bright, beautiful and generous soul who found joy in everything that she did, and relished in sharing that joy with others. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, and grandmother who was devoted to her family; she will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Karen is survived by her husband Donald Owen; her children, Douglas (Mary) Spannring of Fort Collins, CO, and Steven (Ashley) Spannring of Jakarta, Indonesia; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Olivia, and Jasper; her siblings, Ruth Murray, Paul Howieson, Shirley (Gene) Nelsen, Judith (Harlan) Remington, and Larry (Christie) Howieson; sisters-and-brothers in law Barb Howieson, Marilyn Howieson, and Jim Boeke; along with numerous nieces and nephews and extended families.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, John and Helen Howieson; husband, John Spannring; siblings, James (Marcella), William, Andrew (Jean), David, John (Shirlene), Charles, Grace Boeke, Ronald; and brother-in-law, Richard Murray.