Karen Rose de Koning

Karen Rose de Koning, 49, Pawnee City, died Tuesday, June 27, 2006, in her rural Pawnee County, Neb., home in west Branch Precinct, near Summerfield, Kan. For more than three years, she fought courageously, battling against Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare form of cancer. Karen was born March 8, 1957, in Boone, Iowa, to Durwood C. and Betty A. Anderson. She was the youngest of five children. She graduated high school from Southeast Polk, Runnells, Iowa, in 1975.

Karen married Boyd de Koning on March 14, 1975, at the Woodland Hills Church of Christ, southeast of Des Moines, Iowa. Two children were born of this union: Dusty and Harley. She lived with her family in Swan, Iowa, nearly five years before moving back to the Pawnee County area, where Karen worked aside her husband Boyd, farming and raising livestock. Karen enjoyed the outdoors. Her interests included mushroom hunting, bird watching and shooting her .22. She also loved motorcycling, camping and bungie jumping. No woman was ever more true and faithful to her husband, family, friends and country than Karen. She was a stand-alone, dues-paying member of the National Rifle Association. One of the highlights of her life was attending the annual meeting of the NRA in Kansas City on May 20, 2000. It was there that she witnessed Charlton Heston hold the Revolutionary War musket high over his head and proclaim, “You can have my guns when you pry them from my COLD, DEAD Hands."

She was preceded in death by her father. She is survived by her husband, Boyd; daughter, Dusty Duis and husband Matt of Odell, Neb.; son, Harley de Koning and his wife Carrie of Summerfield, Kan.; two granddaughters, Reagan and Sierra de Koning. She is also survived by her mother, Betty A. Anderson of Ankeny, Iowa; two brothers, Durwood “Butch" Anderson of Lantana, Fla.; Larry and wife Ruth Anderson of Berwick, Iowa; two sisters, Kyla Wilson of Maxwell, Iowa, Kate and husband Mike Trier of Unionville, Mo.; and many relatives and friends.

Graveside services were held 11 a.m. Friday, June 30, at the Summerfield Cemetery, Summerfield, Kan. Officiating was Pastor Jill Rettig. Pallbearers were her nephews, Kent de Koning, Wade de Koning, Buck de Koning, Michael Anderson, Jon Anderson, and Brian Van Houten. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be given in Memory of Karen de Koning to The National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation, 129 Hawkins Road, Maryland, N.Y. 12116. Services arranged by Wherry Mortuary, Pawnee City. (Paid)