Karen Marie Graupmann, 79, of Jordan, passed away on Tuesday, December 28 th , surrounded by her loving family. A Celebration of Life service will take place at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Prior Lake on Saturday, February 12th, starting at 11am. Prior to the service, there will be a Time of Gathering, beginning at 10am. Immediately following the Celebration of Life, a graveside burial will take place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery.
On October 30th, 1942, Karen was born to her parents, Ollie and Sarah Rowert. For years the family lived on a working farm, which is now the site of Horse and Hunt Club in Prior Lake. Karen was the middle child of three, with older brother Richard and younger sister Joan. When she wasn’t helping on the farm, Karen attended and graduated from Jordan High School.
After graduating from high school, Karen and a group of her friends moved to Minneapolis. She met her future husband, Allan, through mutual friends. The pair were married at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jordan on December 14th, 1963. Karen and Allan were blessed with two children, Nikkole and Troy. The family loved to go on camping trips and enjoyed spending time together on Friday nights, playing games and planning their next trip together.
Early on, Karen began working as a bookkeeper for Prudential Insurance. When her children Troy and Nikkole were school age, Karen began working at their elementary school (Westwood Elementary). Karen loved being able to be home with the kids during the long summer break. As the kids got older, Karen returned to her work as a bookkeeper. She worked for Blockbuster Video for several years until the closure in 1994. From there, she continued her career with Sureway Transportation, which merged with Axis Global Logistics. She retired from Axis Global in 2013. For many years, Karen also helped Allan manage his upholstery and flooring business.
When Karen wasn’t working, she spent much of her time gardening and maintaining the beautiful land on which their home was located. She also enjoyed teaching Sunday School at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prior Lake. Allan and Karen loved to travel. Together they had countless driving adventures throughout the United States. Karen loved to talk about her trips and was quick to point out her favorite state to visit: Alaska. More than travel, Karen’s biggest pride and joy was her grandchildren. She enjoyed attending their sporting events, concerts, recitals, and shows – cheering them on throughout.
Caring, loving, and hardworking, Karen will be missed greatly by her children, Nikkole (Jake) Peterson and Troy (Kim) Graupmann; grandchildren Maggie, Charlie, Olivia, Noelle, Paige, and Brock; Sister Joan (Jerry) Feldten; Sister-in-Law Bev Rowert; and many other loving relatives and friends. Karen is preceded in death by her Husband, Allan Graupmann; Parents, Ollie and Sarah Rowert; and Brother, Richard Rowert.
In memory of Karen, please consider sending a donation to the Minnesota Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/mnnd
