Ms. Karen Ann Veach

Karen was born August 30th, 1943 in Holdredge, Nebraska to Leona and William Koontz.

Karen lived in many places as a child because her father was a career Marine. She attended high school in Oceanside, California and attended junior college there as well. She was married in Oceanside in 1964 and through that union brought 5 children into this world.

She was a lifelong Christian. Through a series of events she was confirmed in the Lutheran church three separate times. She moved to Omaha and attended Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

After her divorce, she attended Bellevue University where she earned her Bachelor’s in social work. Her children were extremely proud of her! She used her degree to start a career as a psych tech.

After retiring, Karen moved to Norfolk, Nebraska where she attended Shepherd of Peace Lutheran church. She then moved to Kansas City where she could be closer to her daughter Rebecca.

She and Rebecca went on many adventurous car rides, with Karen often insisting they deliberately turn the wrong way just to see what they would find.

Karen’s spirit of adventure was fueled by her voracious appetite for reading books. Her vocabulary was legendary and she was nearly impossible to defeat in Scrabble. She was also legendary for her ability to float for hours on any body of water available.

Her children will most remember and miss her all encompassing hugs.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister Roberta.

She is survived by her sister Barbara and her children: Timothy (Cherry), Nathan (Joy), Joel, Rebecca (Jason), and Rachel (Philip), numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Karen asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School in Waco, Nebraska or Good Shepherd Lutheran church and school in Omaha, Nebraska where her children attended high school and grade school respectively.