Karen M. Howell

Karen Mae (Carlson) Howell, 90, of Viola, Wis., and formerly of Fort Atkinson, Wis., passed away on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, while at Bethel Home & Services in Viroqua, Wis. She was born April 1, 1930, to Olaf and Elsie Carlson in Milwaukee, Wis., where she would graduate from Rufus King High School. On Feb. 26, 1949, she married Glenn Howell. The pair, along with their three children Denis, Lynette, and Bonnie, would move westward from Milwaukee/West Allis, Wis., to Brookfield, Wis., then Johnson Creek, Wis., where she would go to work for Watertown Memorial Hospital as a medical librarian and transcriptionist. They would then settle for the next 23 years in and around Fort Atkinson, Wis., where she worked for the Fort Atkinson Hospital in the same capacity. After their retirements, in 1993 they moved to rural Viola, Wis., where Karen would remain after Glenn's death in 1995. Karen didn't enjoy retirement long, as she would go back to work in 2001 at the Epitaph-News newspaper with her daughter, Bonnie, until 2018, when dementia took over. After the loss of her son, Denis (who was her caregiver until his death in August 2018), her grandson, Shaun Sherman, would be her primary caregiver until a medical issue would cause her move to the Bethel Home in Viroqua, where she was staying at the time of her passing. Mom loved to garden; it was nothing for her to spend hours in the garden after work until dark. If dad could rototill it, she would plant it. They spent many years together remodeling their homes no matter where they lived, with their last project together being their home near Viola. Mom also loved to knit and crochet, finishing many a project from baby sweaters and blankets for her grandchildren, to sweaters for Bonnie, fingerless gloves, dishcloths, and afghans. She was also a great seamstress, making many clothes for herself, children and grandchildren. She also loved to make art with daughter, Lynette, attending many art classes with her. She was a perfectionist in everything she did. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Olaf and Elsie Carlson; brother, Ellsworth Carlson; sister and brother-in law Jean and William “Bill” Bostwick, sister and brother-in-law Patricia and John Kidd; son, Denis; father- and mother-in-law, Ralph and Lillian Howell; and all of her high school friends, of which she was the last surviving member. Karen is survived by daughters, Lynette (Robert) Owens of Viola, Bonnie (Loren) Sherman, of La Farge, Wis.; daughter-in-law, Pamela Howell of Fort Atkinson, Wis.; grandchildren, Denis Glen Edward Howell and Donovan (Brandy) Howell of South Carolina, Kayla Howell of Madison, Wis., Reo Owens of Cambridge, Wis., Shaun Sherman of La Farge, Kevin Sherman of Viola, Rachel (Chad) Graves of La Farge; and seven great-grandchildren, Matthew (Jessica) Howell, Nicholas Howell, Savanah Howell, Logan and Chloe Howell, and Jordyn and Jacob Graves to which she was fondly known as “Big Grandma” along with two great-great-grandchildren, Sky and Eli with a third on the way. She is also survived by her favorite nieces and their husbands, Sue (Clyde) Diehl and Anne (Dudley) Kimball, and nephews, Dave and Ron Kidd, along with a number of sister- and brother-in-laws. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, at Vosseteig Funeral Home, 203 N. State St. in La Farge. Pastor Mark Phillips will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Karen will be laid to rest in the Viola Cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.vossfh.com Vosseteig Funeral Home in La Farge is serving Karen's family. 203 N. State Street La Farge, WI 54639 608-625-4244