Obit: Erpenbach, Karen Christine (1942 - 2020)
Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail:
dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Erpenbach, Weinz, Lange, Buck, Baer
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/15/2020
Erpenbach, Karen Christine (23 January 1942 - 11 April 2020)
Karen Christine Erpenbach, 78, of Neillsville, passed away peacefully on
Saturday April 11, 2020 at the Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield with her
family at her side. She had courageously battled lung cancer for over 5 years.
Karen was born on January 23, 1942 on a farm in Menomonee Falls, to Richard and
Martha (Weinz) Lange. She attended the Oakwood one-room schoolhouse through 8th
grade. She actually skipped 6th grade, an occurrence that was not so unique as
multiple grades would be taught in the same room and lessons were heard multiple
times and things could be picked up more quickly. She also helped many of her
younger classmates. This was the beginning of her love for teaching and
interesting enough, she would later teach children the most in the grade she
skipped. Growing up, Karen and her sisters would work on the farm, primarily
with the vegetables. They would take orders for fresh vegetables for many
grocery stores around the Milwaukee area and spend their summer days and fall
weekends picking rhubarb, kohlrabies, beets, dill, and other vegetables. This
led Karen to have a lifetime of enjoyment in gardening.
After graduating from Menomonee Falls High School in 1959, she attended Carroll
College (now named Carroll University) in Waukesha and graduated with a degree
in education. She eventually received her master’s degree from University of
Wisconsin-Madison. Knowing that it would be easy to stay at home on the farm and
find a teaching job nearby, she instead applied to positions all over Wisconsin
and leave the comfort of the farm life she only knew. She accepted a teaching
position in Stratford, in the fall of 1963. There Karen taught 4th, and 5th
grades and there she also met Donald Erpenbach. They would marry on January 29,
1966 in Waukesha. They later divorced on July 30, 1990. After Donald took a
position in 1970 as superintendent and principal of the Granton School District,
Karen accepted a teaching position in Neillsville School District. There she
taught English, math, and social studies through the years and primary at the
6th grade level. She always said that this pre-teen age was challenging as the
girls were growing into young women, but the boys were still boys. Regardless,
Karen found it to be the most rewarding grades to teach. Over the years, she
taught multiple generations and would find herself calling a student by their
father or mother’s name who she also had as a student years earlier. After
teaching for a total of 44 years, she retired in 2007.
Throughout her life Karen had a love for travel. She would often weave her
travel experiences into her teaching. She visited over 30 countries including
Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1970 which was during the height of the
Cold War. Karen also visited Egypt and explored the inside of the Great Pyramid
of Giza in Egypt in 1999 and went to China and walked on the Great Wall in 2011.
Even when home she was never one to sit idle, often walking multiple miles each
day around the city of Neillsville. Finally, Karen was one of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, and served faithfully until her death. She was dedicated to her
congregation and would often help those in need of transportation, healthcare,
or support.
Karen is survived by her extremely grateful son Eric (Rachel) of Oronoco, MN,
granddaughters Sophie and Macey, sisters Janet (Doug) Buck of Hixson, TN, and
Linda (Bob) Baer of Sun Prairie, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. She
is preceded in death by her parents.
A memorial for Karen will be planned for a later date. Gesche Funeral Home and
Cremation Service is assisting in the family with arrangements.
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