Karen Browning Penisten

Karen Browning Penisten, 76, of Urbandale, passed away from complications of Dementia on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

Karen was born in Lake City, Iowa on June 6, 1946 to William Harold Browning and Dorothy Geraldine Browning. She was raised in Rockwell City, Iowa where her parents resided along with her younger sisters, Diana Kay and Rene (Browning) Filmer. She graduated from Rockwell City High School in 1964 and then attended Nettleton Business College in Sioux City, Iowa. She moved to Fort Dodge where she worked for the Job Service of Iowa.

Karen met her husband, Thomas Penisten, in Fort Dodge and the two were married in 1967 while he was in the Army during the Viet Nam war. Karen went with Tom to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland where the Army had assigned him as a Weapons Test Engineer. While there, she worked as a civil service secretary at the Army Ordinance School. After Tom was discharged, they spent 24 years in Newton, Iowa where Tom was an engineer with the Maytag Company. She briefly worked for Maytag before their two sons were born and later worked at the Newton High School as a teacher’s assistant. Prior to Tom’s retirement from Maytag, they moved to Urbandale and she worked for Cigna Insurance for several years before retiring.

Karen is survived by her husband of 56 years, Thomas; her sons, Dr. Scott Penisten and Todd (Amanda) Penisten; and grandchildren, Sophia, Amelia, Gabriella, Christopher, Robert and James Penisten.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 10, 2023 with a rosary service following immediately at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at St. Pius X Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, 5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines, IA 50313. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com. The family would like to extend thanks to Debbie McAninch and all of the staff at Senior Suites of Urbandale for the outstanding care and comfort they provided to Karen in the Memory Care Facility.