Karen M. Hueners

Karen Hueners Obituary Karen Hueners, age 86, of Howard, SD, died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, surrounded by her family. Funeral service will be 10:30 am, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Howard. Burial will be at St. John's Cemetery in Howard, with lunch and fellowship to follow. Visitation is 5-7 pm, Monday at the church with a Prayer Service at 7 pm. The funeral service will be livestreamed on the Ellsworth Funeral Home Facebook page. Memorials may be directed to the St. John's Cemetery Endowment Fund.
Karen was born to Fay and Ruth (Jackson) Munger in Madison, SD, on June 13, 1938. She was the youngest child, with three brothers. She graduated from DeSmet High School in 1956 and attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, graduating with a degree in Home Economics in 1960. She then taught high school home economics in Howard until 1964 and later returned to teach from 2001 and 2002.
After a 45-day whirlwind courtship, Karen married Thomas "Tom" Hueners on August 18, 1963, in DeSmet, and for over sixty years, they made a home on the Hueners homestead south of Winfred, where they lived until very recently. Karen, a devoted wife and a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, was a teacher, farmer, and an active member of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Howard, especially active in the Ladies Aid and LWML. Over the years, Karen was also a successful businesswoman who owned and ran The Village Florist, a flower shop in Howard, and an upholstery business. She served Miner County as an EMT and was the president of the Howard School Board.
Karen and Tom enjoyed playing golf with friends and traveling together on camping trips. Karen was an excellent cook; she was generous in identifying and making favorite foods of family members, friends, and even pets. Her home was the center of holiday meals and celebrations where her delicious buns, rolls, pies, strawberry divinity, and chocolate frosting were favorites. She was an expert on cooking and homemaking, providing quick answers to all kinds of questions long before Alexa or Siri.
Karen loved gardening, canning, and quilting--making quilts for each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild. She also helped make quilts for many Howard High School graduates over the years. Karen was proud of her family and enjoyed attending their many sporting, 4-H, and cultural events. Karen showed unconditional love for others, tending to those who were lost, hurting, or needed support. She inspired that compassion in others and was a bright force in making the world a better place. She will be missed by those whom she loved.
Karen is preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Richard, James, and William. She is survived by her husband Tom and her daughters Donna (Joe) Bechen, Deana (John) Hueners-Nelson, and Darcy (Rich) Laible. She counted as family Greg and Kathy Callies and their children and grandchildren. She left behind five grandchildren; Adam (Jill) Bechen and Megan (Johnathon) Noonan; and Taryn, Rylie, and Lodin Albert. She also had six great-grandchildren: Jackson, Cole, and Owen Bechen and Knox, Natalie, and Lily Noonan.
Service Program Click to download / open- https://d1rjyex4ui0ya6.cloudfront.net/obituaries/media/6816/1595659-KarenM.Huenersfolder.docx
Services
Visitation
Monday
November 18, 2024
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
St. John Lutheran Church in Howard
Funeral Service
Tuesday
November 19, 2024
10:30 AM
St. John Lutheran Church in Howard