Karen R. Moe

Karen R. Moe, 81, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at Faith Lutheran Home, Osage. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 16, at the Schott Funeral Home–Mittelstadt Chapel, Lake Mills. Pastor Rod Hopp will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.Interment will happen at a later date at Salem Memorial Cemetery, Lake Mills. Masks will be required for all who attend the visitation and/or service for Karen.
Karen Rovella (Peterson) Moe was born March 3, 1940 to parents A. Milton and Inborg (Stromley). She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Karen attended Joice Elementary School, and later graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1958.
On Dec. 14, 1958, she was united in marriage to Duane Moe at Salem Lutheran Church, Lake Mills. To this union, two daughters were born: Debbie and Colette.
As the family moved often, Karen held various office positions with different companies. Once settled in Forest City, Karen worked many years as an administrative assistant at Winnebago Industries, where she would eventually retire.
Karen’s priorities were her faith and family. While her children were young, Karen was a Sunday School teacher for many years. Most recently, Karen was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Forest City. She enjoyed baking for her family—her specialties were pumpkin bars, pies, and her famous chocolate chip cookies and scotcharoos (the grandkids favorite). Many Sundays, the family gathered for dinner, where they would enjoy her famous roast.
Karen and Duane enjoyed taking motorcycle rides and went on many vacations to Branson, Mo. In their younger years, they enjoyed dancing and roller-skating. She enjoyed helping Duane mow the lawn on their large acreage. In fact, in one circumstance, they were so focused on their own mowing, they forgot to look for the other person, and eventually had a head on collision with their lawn mowers. Thankfully they walked away with a great story, and no injuries.
After losing her husband in 2019, Karen lived at Faith Lutheran Home, Osage, for the last two years. This is where Karen was able to be herself, and her personality shined through. Her smile was infectious, so Karen easily made many connections with the staff there. Cindy, the activities director at the nursing home, became very special to Karen and her family and is now considered a part of Karen’s family forever.
Left to cherish Karen’s memory include her daughters: Debbie (Steve) Strom, Garner; and Colette (Tom) Smith, Osage; grandchildren: Travis Strom, Sarah (Jeremy Wilson) Kieschnick, Katie (Bud) Gill, Jamie (Jaime Judge-Wyatt) Wyatt, Jes Strom, Jeremiah (Angela) Wyatt, Robyn (Cory) Jacob, Ryan (Katie) Strom, Colby (Marylyn) Smith, and Erik (Courtney Johnson) Wyatt; great grandchildren, Makayla (Aidan), Drew, Ashton, Cody, Leighton, Nate, Ahna, Cooper G., Ethan, Madden, Carson, Jaxson, Cooper J., Caden, Harrison, Mila, Kyley, and Ellie Ann; sisters: Judy Hermanson and Ila Peterson, both of Lake Mills; sister in-law, Arlene (Wayne) Sprecher, Lake Mills; brother in-law, Warren (Jean) Moe, Kansas City, Mo.; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Karen is preceded in death by her husband, Duane Moe; great-granddaughter, Bryanna Wyatt; brother, Maynard Peterson; brother in-law, Jerome Hermanson; and her parents, Milton and Inborg Peterson.