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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
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Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Blake, Karen Sue
Karen Sue Blake, 66, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Tipton, died peacefully in her home with her family at her bedside on Sunday, June 20, 2010. Karen, the daughter of Howard and Genevieve Raymond Gritton, was born on April 6, 1944, in Wilton Junction, Iowa. She was a 1962 graduate of the Clarence High School. She married Marshall Glen Blake on Jan. 6, 1963, in Clarence, Iowa. Karen worked for DeKock Drug Store in Tipton for many years and after she moved to Cedar Rapids, Karen worked as the Lindale Mall secretary and later worked as a security supervisor at the Cedar Rapids Airport. She was a past member of the Tipton United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ in Clarence, and the T.T.T.
Karen is survived by her husband, Marshall Blake of Cedar Rapids; daughter, Kamille (Rob) Kurseth of Cedar Rapids; sons, Kirby (Michelle) Blake of Tipton, and Kyle (Monica) Blake of Springville; six grandchildren, Colton and Morgan Blake, Cody and Seth Blake, and Marshall and Koen Kurseth; sisters, Marcia (Dennis) Fisher of Marion, and Diane (Jerry) Evens of Cedar Rapids; and brother, Roger (Barb) Gritton of Clarence.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Fry Funeral Home, Tipton. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, before the service.
A general memorial has been established in her memory.
Online condolences may be shared at

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