116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Karen Brimmer
Karen Brimmer
Center Point
Karen Brimmer, 82, of Center Point, Iowa, passed away Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Dennis & Donna Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha, Iowa. Memorial Service: 12 p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids with visitation to begin at 11 a.m.
Karen was born August 8, 1943, in West Union, Iowa, the daughter of Leo Robert and Kathleen Evelyn (Torson) Pierce. Karen grew up on a farm with her sister, Barbara and was an outdoors girl. She loved being outside with her dad, Leo, and riding her Palomino horse, Trigger. Karen grew up in the Waterloo, Alpha, and Strawberry Point areas, and received her education in the rural area school. When her parents divorced, Karen, with her mom, moved to Independence, Iowa where she graduated from Jefferson High School. On August 28, 1961, Karen was united in marriage to Keith Brimmer in Independence. Keith was drafted into the Army and the newlyweds moved to Killeen, Texas where he attended boot camp at Fort Hood. Upon returning to Independence, they brought home a baby girl and eventually both secured jobs at Collins Radio. The couple eventually moved to Center Point to soften the commute to Cedar Rapids, and this is where they raised two daughters. Karen raised her daughters, which was both her greatest joy and her biggest challenge, but she poured her heart into supporting each of them and their ambitions. She was asked once what she thought her purpose was in life and she said to have her girls. No matter how busy life got, Karen always found a way to be there for every milestone, special event, musical performance and sporting contest. Keith and Karen, along with the girls, spent most weekends camping and boating. Many hours were spent fishing. Karen loved watching the Hawkeyes and the Indiana Fever. She enjoyed jewelry, watching rodeos, going to auctions and garage sales, and hosting family gatherings where no one left hungry. She will be dearly missed.
Survivors include her husband, Keith Brimmer; daughters, Kandace McCue, and Karmen (Kevin) Haynes; grandchildren, Kallee Haynes, Kamryn (John) Armstrong, Keisha McCue, and KeAndre McCue; and great-grandchildren, Hollis and Gibson Armstrong.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Barbara Gerdes.
Memorials may be directed to Oldorf Hospice House.
Please share a memory of Karen at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters