Karen Ann Ellefson

Karen Ann Ellefson, 66, of Westby, Wisconsin, passed away on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 11th, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at Vosseteig Funeral Home, 708 S. Main Street in Westby, with a light luncheon to follow. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. preceding the memorial service. Born on April 9th, 1956, in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Ronald A. and Clarita (Westmoreland) Witham, Karen was the second of five siblings. She grew up on a farm near Storm Lake, Iowa. As a teenager on the farm, she was always working hard; mowing, gardening, cooking, and feeding livestock. At the end of the day, she would entertain the family with her guitar accompanied by her beautiful singing voice. Karen attended Saint Mary’s grade school and high school in Storm Lake where she was active in school plays, chorus, and was elected homecoming queen. After high school, Karen earned her nursing degree at Iowa Central Community College. She was a dedicated, highly skilled, and well-loved registered nurse. Not only did Karen have a fulfilling and rewarding career in nursing, but she was also a devoted wife and mother of five children. Karen had a great sense of humor and made everyone feel at home. She was always quick to offer food, a warm smile, a hug, and love to her family and many friends. Her talents included decorating, baking, making macrame, homemade pickles, creating delicious meals, and having a good laugh. Her children fondly recall their mom singing and playing guitar, especially two of her favorite songs, “Both Sides Now” and “Que Sera Sera.” Karen had served as the Housing Chairperson of the Snowflake Ski Club, and she and Dan hosted teams in their home from Norway, Finland, and the United States for the Snowflake Ski Jump tournaments. Karen’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were a favorite, so much so that the ski jumpers would sneak them on the flight back to Norway. She loved her family, camping, her dogs and cats over the years, rock and country music, and making new friends. She will be dearly missed by all that knew how wonderful she was as a daughter, sister, mother, friend, and especially her husband, Dan, with whom she was with for 23 years. Karen is survived by her husband, Daniel Ellefson; sons: Matthew McAleer, Keith McAleer, and Nicholas McAleer; daughters: Ellen (McAleer) Carpenter and Kathleen McAleer; mother: Clarita Witham; siblings: Patricia Schneiders, Ronald J. Witham, and Carol Turner; father-in-law, Reuben Ellefson; sister-in-law, Barb Foss; brothers-in-law, Peder Ellefson and Tom Ellefson; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Ronald A. Witham; her sister, Diane Klein; mother-in-law, Eileen Ellefson; and niece, Jennifer Mulhausen. Vosseteig Funeral Home & Crematory in Westby is serving Karen's family. 708 S. Main Street Westby, WI 54667 (608) 634-2100