Karen spent her early years growing up on an 80 acre farm outside of State Center, Iowa. She was an accomplished pianist who gave lessons at family home and who was also a member of 4-H. She helped her mother with raising chickens, as well as helping out with the dairy farming, and raising hogs. Karen graduated from State Center High School in 1956 and Marshalltown Community College in 1958. She earned a BA in Literature.

Karen was predeceased by her father, Clint in 1999; mother Maxine in 2000; brother Robert in 2009 (Joan, 2012), and brother William in 2016.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Nelson; sons: Mike Nelson (Patti) and John (Kelly); grandchildren: Michelle, Alissa, MacKenzie and Cole; brothers, Dan (Rita), James (Linda), sister-in-law Lana, and sister Cindy Norell (Daniel).

Karen was beloved as a gentle, kind and soft spoken woman who loved to hike, travel and ride her bike with husband Jim. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.