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Monday, March 3, 2025
Karen Lee Schwien
Age: 85
City: Clarence
Funeral Home
Chapman Funeral Home
Monday, March 3, 2025
Karen Lee Schwien
Karen Lee Schwien
Clarence
Karen Lee Schwien, age 85 of Clarence, passed away on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Clarence with Pastor Janet Shotwell officiating. Burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM until service time at the church.
Karen was born on February 4, 1940 to Art and Velma (Hartig) Kintzel in Stanwood, Iowa. She married Lavern Schwien on April 1, 1961 in Clarence. He passed away on August 20, 2023.
Karen is survived by her daughter Lisa of Clarence; sisters Susan Knoop of Illinois and Carole (Jack) Carlson of Oregon; and brothers Larry Kenneth (Jean) Kintzel of Wisconsin and Jay (Vicki) Kintzel of Colorado.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and brother-in-law Klaus Knoop.
Karen’s occupations through life included being a Med Tech for St. Luke’s Hospital, a dedicated farm wife, and a milk tester for Dairy Labs. She enjoyed barn tours, traveling to Alaska or Colorado, and her flowers but her passion was quilting, getting up before the sun rose to work on them.
Chapman Funeral Home has Karen and her family in their care. To leave a condolence or memory, please visit www.chapmanfh.com.