Karren Kay (Puffett) Buck

Karren Kay (Puffett) Buck

Cedar Rapids

Karren Kay (Puffett) Buck, 82, of Cedar Rapids came to the end of her courageous health journey March 8, 2023.

Celebration of Life services will be held at Calvary Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Visitation: Monday, March 13, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the church. Funeral service: Tuesday, March 14, at 10:30 a.m. followed by a luncheon at church. Entombment at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

An opportunity for online condolences for the family can be found at the Cedar Memorial website www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Karren was born on the family farm, near Dundee, Iowa, Oct. 11, 1940.

She attended Dundee High School, graduating with the Mighty 10, in 1958.

Following graduation, she moved to Cedar Rapids to begin working as a switchboard operator at Northwestern Bell.

In early 1960 she met her future husband, Ray, at a dance in Oelwein, Iowa.

They married on Nov. 6 of that same year and called Cedar Rapids home for most of their married life. At one point they moved for a short time to Oelwein for Ray’s work, but soon returned to Cedar Rapids where they finished raising their family and eventually retired.

Most of Karren’s working life was spent in a variety of roles in financial services. She loved her time working at credit unions where she started as a teller and was eventually promoted to a loan officer and then manager.

In 1986 she became the bookkeeper and payroll officer in the business office for Marion Independent School District, ending her professional career, retiring in 2000.

Karren loved to cook, and her dishes were always a hit at family gatherings and at Calvary Baptist Church, where for over 60 years she was a faithful servant as church recorder, a choir member, cash counter, deaconess, and member of several committees.

Karren’s greatest joy was spending time with her family. She is survived by her husband, Ray; three children, Suzie (Randy) Fisher, Brad (Traci) Buck, and Sara (Chris)Viall; 10 grandchildren, Bonnie, Johnny, Gabrielle, Zeke, Grace, Jack, Samson, Lucie, Paityn, and Maddie; and two great-granddaughters, Elora and Marlowe.

Karren was preceded in death by her parents, John and Luetta Puffett; two sisters, Yvonne and Sandy; and one daughter, Christine.

Memorials can be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 5338 Johnson Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or St. Luke’s Hospital Inpatient Hospice Unit, 1026 A Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in Karren’s honor.