Karen S. Brown
A memorial service in Karen’s honor will be held on Saturday, July 1st at 11:00 a.m. at the Ness City Methodist Church. Her ashes will be buried at the Ness City Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will follow at the church.
https://www.fitzgeraldfuneral.com/obituary/karen-brown?fh_id=12067
August 14, 1942 - March 1, 2023
Karen S. Brown, age 80, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2023 in Long Beach, CA.
Karen was born on August 14, 1942 in Great Bend, KS, the first born child of Vernon and Delma Stenzel of Ness City, KS.
She is survived by her children, Steve Brown (Susan) of New York, NY, and Stephanie Kenny (Scott) of Brentwood, CA, and her four grandsons (Matthew and Owen Brown and Danny and Michael Kenny). She is also survived by her siblings, Bonnie Legg (Joseph) of Niantic, CT; Rick Stenzel (Deb) of Ness City, KS; and Patti Pfannenstiel (Tim) of Salina, KS, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to the foregoing, Karen is survived by a sisterhood of lifelong friends which were her extended family.
Karen’s early childhood was spent in the family’s rented farmhouse near Bazine until the new family home was built in Ness City in 1950.
While at Ness City High School, Karen cultivated her love of music -- playing baritone saxophone in concert and jazz band and singing in choral groups; she was blessed with a beautiful alto voice. Karen left Ness City to pursue her interests in music and education at Kansas University; she graduated with a BS degree in education in 1964. She was active in the regional California leadership of the Girl Scouts of America in the 1970s-1980s. In the 1980s she entered the insurance industry, rising through the ranks to management in training and human resources, ultimately retiring from State Farm Insurance in 2007.
The loves of Karen’s life were her children and her grandsons. She cherished time spent with them, visiting whenever possible, playing games with her grandchildren and catching up on her children’s lives in daily (yes, daily) telephone calls. The Stenzel family reunion every 4th of July weekend was a highlight; Karen so enjoyed the convergence of her family from all parts of the country to Ness City and watching her grandsons play in her childhood yard in Ness. Americana at its best was celebrated with family gathered after dinner in a semicircle of lawn chairs in the breeze of a Kansas summer evening while fireworks rang overhead late into the night.
Karen Brown loved spending meaningful time with friends. She organized annual camping trips with family and friends, which eventually ended with her singing around a campfire, accompanying the group with her guitar. She had a passion for theater, particularly musicals, and attended performances on Broadway or touring companies in Los Angeles. She also loved attending concerts in the park, playing bridge and travelling.
Although Karen left KU in 1964, KU never left Karen. She was a huge Jayhawk fan, with men’s basketball a particular passion. In fact, the night before she passed she watched her beloved Jayhawks beat Texas Tech in a close game (67-63).
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Karen’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Ness City Bank Building Foundation.
Words of comfort and support may be left for the family by signing the guestbook.