Karen M. Thelen, 79, Sauk Rapids

May 8, 1942 - January 29, 2022

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, February 4, 2022 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids for Karen M. Thelen, age 79, who passed away Saturday, January 29, 2022 at Ridgeview Memory Care in Sauk Rapids. Rev. Thomas Knoblach will officiate. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids and one hour prior to the services Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Parish prayers will be 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home in Sauk Rapids.

Karen was born May 8, 1942 in St. Cloud to Ralph and Vida (Sprague) Mohs. She then married Leon Thelen on October 29, 1960 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids. Karen graduated from Sauk Rapids High School in 1960 and was very involved in school. She was part of many school plays and was Homecoming Queen. Karen then worked at the St. Cloud Hospital as a nurse, then later in the nursing home staff at County Manor in Sartell. She also worked as a daycare provider for many years. Karen was part of the Sweet Adeline Singing Group. She loved to travel and traveled to see many friends and family. Karen and Leon enjoyed their camper on Lake Mary in Alexandria for many years. She loved spending time with her grandkids and great-grandkids and would go to all of their sports games at school to watch. Karen was always volunteering, very outgoing, and a social butterfly. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Survivors include her children, Denise (Brad) Blanski of St. Cloud, Kohl Fiarri (aka Sue Thelen) of Surprise, AZ, and Wade (Sue) of Sauk Rapids; grandchildren, Siri, Courtney, Preston, Tyler, Riley and Koby; great grandchildren, Iris, Olivia, Charlie, Cooper and Jacquelyn; and brothers and sisters, Bob (Frankie) Mohs, Gretchen (Jeff) Johnson, Colleen (Doug) Millard, and Becky (Tom) Schmidt. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Leon; brothers, Ron, Larry, Frank, Joe; and sister, Bev.