Karen Starr, 83, of Martelle, died Sunday, March 27, 2022 at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha.

Graveside services and burial will be held at 11 am Saturday, May 28, 2022 at Riverside Cemetery, Anamosa. Pastors Jim & Kris May will officiate. Please use the Guestbook and share your thoughts, memories, stories, and condolences with the family.

Karen Mae Barnes was born May 28, 1938 in Mankato, MN, the daughter of Clarence and Helen (Van Norman) Barnes. She resided in Mankato and moved to Anamosa to work at Collins Radio as an assembler of avionics equipment. She would later work on the assembly line of Pawling & Harnischfeger in Cedar Rapids. She returned to Mankato to care for her ailing parents. She retired in 2000. She was reunited with her high school sweetheart, Leroy Wachtel. During this time, she worked as a cook at Senior Living in Mankato. She and Leroy remained together until his passing in 2011, at which time she moved to Martelle to reside with her daughter and son-in-law.

She was a devout Christian and was a member of Grace Baptist Church, Mankato, Fairview Baptist Church, Anamosa, and Antioch Christian Church, Marion. Her community service came in many forms from helping with Meals-On-Wheels to crocheting many different items for schools and hospitals. She enjoyed embroidery, quilting, gardening, canning, baking, motorcycle rides, roller skating, listening to Elvis Presley, reading, and listening to gospel music and the Oak Ridge Boys. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren, with whom she imparted her card playing skills.

She will be forever cherished by her children Teresa (Kim) Hart, Gerald Ostboe II (Tess), John (Rebecca), Tony (Shari) and Ron (Beth), several grandchildren and great grandchildren, her siblings Janice Lund, Jeanne (Arnie) Voight, Donna (John) Anderson, Rande Veroeven, Brad Barnes, and Cheryl Lund.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Angel, her parents, and her siblings Georgia, Norma, Sandy, Barbara, Lavonne, and Rick.

The family would like to thank the staffs of the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy and Mercy Medical Center, as well as Jessica Quinn, PAC, and Ryan Hollenbeck, MD, for the wonderful care Karen received.