Karen Jemne Stumpf

Karen Jemne Stumpf of Peabody, MA, formerly of Falmouth, MA, died peacefully of natural causes on June 12, 2025 at 101 years of age.
Born September 17, 1923, in St. Paul, Minnesota she was the daughter of the late Elsa Laubach Jemne and Ole Magnus Jemne. Karen was raised in St. Paul in her beloved childhood home on Mt. Curve Boulevard, designed by her father, a noteworthy architect. She grew up surrounded by the arts, including paintings created by her mother, a prominent muralist and portrait artist who often worked out of a studio in the house.
Karen attended the University of Minnesota for two years before venturing to New York City in 1944, fulfilling a dream from her high school years. She lived with her sister and friends from Minnesota in a Greenwich Village walk up, attended art school and worked as a commercial artist. She loved the excitement and adventure of living in the big city despite the war raging overseas.
Karen married her college sweetheart, the late John H. Stumpf, also of St. Paul, on September 7, 1946. In 1956, after having their first two children, the late Robin (Stumpf) Glabe and Kurt (Stumpf) Hammond, Karen encouraged John to join the US Department of State in the Foreign Service. They proudly represented the United States with postings in Calcutta, India and Casablanca, Morocco.
After many adventures in both countries and the birth of their third child, Christian, in Morocco, Karen, John and the children moved back to the US in 1960. They settled in Rye, NY where they welcomed their fourth child, Michael. Karen soon joined the workforce as advertising layout artist, a position she held until the death of her beloved husband, John, in 1974.
In 1975, Karen and her two youngest sons moved to Falmouth, MA, where she fell in love with the Cape Cod lifestyle. She enjoyed taking walks in her quiet neighborhood and on the beautiful beaches. She loved attending local classical music concerts and theatre, and making cultural trips to Boston. For decades she worked in a small boutique in Woods Hole, making many friends along the way.
After enjoying 48 years in Falmouth, she moved to an assisted living apartment in Peabody, MA where she aged peacefully, and was remembered for her loving kindness. She was predeceased by her sister Rosemary (Jemne) Granger, her husband John, her daughter Robin and grandson Brandon Stumpf, and is survived by her sons Kurt Hammond and his wife Nancy, of Pikesville, MD, Christian Stumpf and his wife Tracy Finn of Marblehead, MA, Michael Stumpf, of Pembroke Pines, FL, and her son-in-law, Bruce Glabe, and his wife Marie Hayward of Winchester, MA. Karen was the loving grandmother of Lindsey, Carolyn, Katie, Sarah, Catherine (Cat), Peter, Maddy and Kelly, and ten wonderful great-grandchildren.
She was revered as an amazing mother-in-law, and Gramma Kari was deeply loved by her grandchildren, on whom she doted. She will be missed by her many friends as a careful listener and sympathetic confidante who always had a kind word of encouragement when things were tough.
Thanks to all who have reached out for information regarding funeral services, however, the family is planning a private memorial later this year. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Girls, Inc. of Lynn, MA or the National Audubon Society. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Karen, please visit our Tree Store.