Karen Jorgensen Obituary

Karen Marie (Lindberg) Jorgensen, 83, passed away Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in her home in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.

Karen was born December 1, 1941 in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Sylvia (Mattson) and Wilbur Lindberg of Trade Lake. Faith was a very important part of Karen's life. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at Zion Lutheran Church in Trade Lake and will rest forever in its sacred ground with her beloved husband, Clayton.

For her early education, Karen attended the Bass Lake school near her home. She spoke of walking to school with her siblings and occasionally getting rides to or from school with her teacher. She appreciated those rides, especially when the weather was less than ideal.

After graduating from Grantsburg High School in 1960, she attended Polk County Teachers' College, where she met the love of her life, Clayton Jorgensen. They married in 1962 and started their teaching careers in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

After two years in Black River Falls, Karen and Clayton were hired to teach in the Grantsburg School District. They welcomed son Gregory in 1969 and daughter Janelle in 1971. Karen stayed home with the children until both were in elementary school, then returned to teaching, first as a Title 1/Reading teacher then as a fifth-grade classroom teacher. Teaching was more than a career for Karen. It was a calling, and her students became her kids. She kept all of their notes, cards, and gifts. At Christmas time, the Christmas tree on the main floor was decorated solely with ornaments given to them by students.

Karen and Clayton retired in 2000 and fully embraced being grandparents and civic-minded community members. They enjoyed attending events for all of their grandchildren. One time, they drove from Grantsburg to Little Falls, MN to attend the piano recital of granddaughter Sophie. They immediately left after Sophie played so they could be back to Grantsburg in time for granddaughter Lauren's Nursery School program. Being present for special moments took precedence over practicality. Some things were just too important to miss.

Karen was an active member of Grantsburg Women Working Together and the Grantsburg Friends of the Library board. She volunteered as a classroom helper and reading buddy at the elementary school which meant so much to Karen and Clayton. She also supported Clayton in his many projects and interests, spending many hours typing Clayton's nearly illegible handwritten notes and research.

Karen loved word games - Scrabble, Bananagrams, Boggle, Wheel of Fortune, and most recently Wordle. She and her sisters would share their Wordle results daily, competing to see who would share their score first and who got the word in the least amount of tries. She also shared her Wordle with her grandchildren who saw it as a daily reminder that Grammy was thinking of them.

Karen faced many health challenges in her life. The most significant was her battle with ovarian cancer that started in 1994. She braved rounds of chemo, radiation, and surgeries during her battle. She overcame the odds stacked against her with each reoccurrence and made sure her medical team knew that "she wasn't going anywhere," so they needed to have that attitude as well. As she aged, she faced additional health challenges. Her bones were fragile and her vascular system was susceptible to blood clots. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout made even the simple pleasures of sewing and typing painful for her. After Clayton passed away in 2016, Janelle became her patient advocate, working tirelessly to find specialists and care plans that would help Karen continue to live the life she fought cancer so hard for.

Karen's will was strong but her body was not. Sometimes even sheer determination is not enough to keep fighting the good fight. Karen entered hospice care in her home in May and Janelle assembled a team of loving caregivers to help her provide round-the-clock care. Her grandson Chris took on the care of Karen's little dog Koda, but brought him for frequent visits. When the time came for Karen to join her beloved, Clayton, she slipped away quietly and peacefully with her daughter Janelle, niece Annalise, and sister Margie by her side.

Karen is survived by her daughter Janelle (Jeff) Hermann, her son Greg (Heather) Jorgensen; her grandchildren Danielle (Jon) Otte, Chris Hermann, Lauren Hermann; Bella (Mike) Jarvis; Sophie (Stephen) Hanrahan, Max Jorgensen, Will Jorgensen; and great grandchildren Ever and Emrys Jarvis; her sweet little dog Koda as well as her siblings, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years Clayton; her parents Wilbur and Sylvia; and her siblings Roger, Patricia, and Harlan. A Funeral Service will be held at 1PM on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church of Trade Lake. Visitation will be held from 11AM until the time of the service. Karen will be laid to rest at the church cemetery following the service with a light reception following in the church basement. Online Condolences may be expressed at www.swedberg-taylor.com.