Karen Marks

Karen Marks, 61, of Dike, Iowa, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at Abels Funeral Home and Cremation Services-Dike Chapel in Dike. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 18, 2025, at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. For the funeral, please wear bright colors so we can celebrate Karen’s bright and shining personality. A lunch will be served at the conclusion of the funeral service at the church. Interment will take place at the Dike City Cemetery following the lunch.

Karen was born on December 27, 1963, to Wayne and Martha (DenHarder) Graves in Cedar Falls. She was raised on the family farm just outside of Dike. Karen was the oldest of six siblings. She attended Dike High School, graduating in 1982. Karen then went on to attend Dordt University, getting an associate’s degree in communications. On June 22, 1984, Karen married the love of her life, John Marks, at Lincoln Center Christian Reformed Church in rural Grundy County. Together they built a life centered on faith, family, and love, and were blessed with three children. Karen devoted over 30 years to her work as a medical transcriptionist and most recently served as a pathology receptionist at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital, a role she truly adored and took great pride in. Karen was widely known for her remarkable talent at the piano and spent much of her adult life sharing that gift by teaching countless students. She found joy in reading, scrapbooking, traveling, camping, and biking with her father, Wayne. Above all else, her greatest joy was time spent playing with her grandchildren.

Karen is survived by her husband; John, three children; Christopher (Lindsey) Marks, Stephanie (Melvin) Wierzbicki, Elizabeth (Joseph) Thoman, six grandchildren; Clare, Madelyn, Graham, Ava, Ellie, Naomi, her father; Wayne (Marilyn) Graves, five siblings; Kenneth (Tami) Graves, Cheryl (Jason) Telschow, Diane (Bryan) Eisenga, Russell (Mollie) Graves, Mark (Missy) Graves and many nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her mother-in-law, Lillian Marks and a brother-in-law, Jim (Paula) Marks. She was preceded in death by her father-in-law, Edward Marks, and her mother, Martha Graves.