Karen Marcene Owen

Karen Marcene Owen, 58, of Newton died Sunday, April 12, 2015, at her daughter’s home. A celebration of Karen’s life will be from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at the VFW. The Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory is handling the arrangements.

Karen, the daughter of Caroline (Young) Beal, was born Sept. 4, 1956, in Des Moines. She grew up in Indianola before moving to Arizona where she lived for 20 years. She worked at the Coconino County Health Department in Flagstaff, Ariz., for a number of years before moving back to Iowa in 2005. She then worked in security at the Iowa Speedway. Karen enjoyed attending renaissance fairs, reading, creating needlepoint pictures and being with her grandchildren.

Those left to honor Karen’s memory are her daughter, Amber (Joe) Griggs of Newton; grandchildren, Damon Ross, Gabriel Griggs, and Kingston Griggs; her brother, Dean Owen of Indianola; sister, Carrie (Paul) Hailey of Phoenix, Ariz.; and her nieces and nephew, Misty, Christen, and Matt Owen.

She was preceded in death by her parents; grandson, Gauge Anderson; and brother, Gerald Owen.