Karen A. Frank

Karen Ann Frank died April 4, 2025, at the age of 81. Karen was born March 18, 1944, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Henry & Marion (Peters) Karcher (deceased). She graduated from Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended UW Whitewater. She worked as a legal secretary at the Brennan Law Firm, as an executive secretary at Total TV, and as an executive secretary and in HR at Ryder in Janesville, Wisconsin until retirement. Karen married George H. Frank, Jr. on September 19, 1992, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milton, Wisconsin. It was her pleasure to help with the church bulletin and to serve in the position of honorary assistant treasurer for many years. Karen loved music, playing the violin in grade school and through her high school years, singing in the college choir, and, in later years, participating in the Blackhawk Chorale and the Daylilies. She also loved to dance and played around with the guitar at one point in her life. Karen was extremely passionate about dogs, especially German Shepherds. She volunteered at the Rock County Humane Society (RCHS) for many years, trained dogs to make them more adoptable, and of course ended up adopting one herself. She was a member of the RCHS board and served as board president for two terms. During that time, she started Good Shepherd K-9 Rescue and served as its president. Karen was proud to have saved and found homes for German Shepherds, too numerous to count. At one point, she had 17 German Shepherds in her home, 7 adults and 10 puppies, a thrill of a lifetime. Karen loved football, growing up in a family where her grandfather, father, and brother were very involved in sports, mainly soccer and football. She never missed one of her grandson Matthew's football games from the time he was in peewee football in Milton, Wisconsin (along with his practices) to his high school games at Lakeside Lutheran. In the winter, she attended all of his basketball games. She had three children: John Arthur Dettwiler (deceased), Kay Marie (David) Maurer, and Kathleen Mary (Daryl) Crawford. Karen is also survived by four grandchildren, Matthew Joseph Davis, Rachel Elizabeth (Chad) Snyder, Heather Nicole (Micah) Christiansen, Samantha Marie Maurer, four great-grandchildren, Phoenix Jayden Christiansen, Axel Lee Christiansen, Theodore Braxton Rickels, and Owen Avery Rickels, and her siblings, Kathleen Karcher and Robert (Melissa) Karcher.
Funeral Services will be 11:00 A.M. Monday April 14, 2025 at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milton. Visitation time will be from 1000 A.M. until time of service at the church. Burial to follow in Milton Cemetery. The Albrecht Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Milton is assisting the family with arrangements.