Siefering’s Life to be Celebrated

Karen Elizabeth (Rasmussen) Siefering, 82, of Hereford, Arizona, passed away on Sunday, April 4, 2021 at Hospice House in Omaha.

Karen was born at home in Howard County, to Harold and Veola (nee Dethlefs) Rasmussen on June 17, 1938. After graduating from St. Paul High School in 1956, she attended the Lincoln School of Commerce in Lincoln for two years. While attending school and living in Lincoln, she worked at Memorial Stadium, cementing her position as a Cornhusker football fan. Karen then attended Dana College in Blair for two years, after which she was hired by Bell Telephone Company in Omaha in 1961.

In 1962, Karen met Loren Siefering in Omaha. They were married on April 28, 1963 in St. Paul and continued to reside in Omaha. In 1968, shortly after the birth of their first child, Sonya, the family moved to Clarinda, Iowa to farm. After two more children, Brian and Kirsten, were born, Loren and Karen moved to a larger house and farm in Villisca, Iowa in 1976. They lived in Villisca until they retired from farming in 2004. They then moved to Hereford, Arizona to enjoy the warm weather and colors of the desert, building their own house with views of the mountains. Loren passed away in 2009 and Karen continued to live in Hereford until she became too sick with T-PLL, a rare form of leukemia. Karen had been treated for her cancer in Omaha in 2020, and entered hospice care in 2021 while staying with her daughter, Kirsten, in Gretna.

Karen loved being a mother and was very involved in her children’s activities, especially as troop leaders for both Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and 4-H. She always drove her kids to music lessons, sporting events, and sleepovers. She found time for hobbies like oil painting, displaying and selling her paintings at local businesses. Karen loved baking and decorating cakes, producing amazing creations for family birthdays and also custom cakes for sale. She excelled at all things creative and enjoyed reading books. Receiving her admission into the DAR was one of Karen’s proudest moments after doing the research to prove her line. Above all, Karen cherished her grandchildren: Bronte, Rafael, and Ivye Beaudoin, Ingrid and Garrett Siefering, and Rowan Stern.

Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Loren, and brother, Alan Rasmussen.

Survivors include her children, daughter, Sonya Siefering and her husband, Jerreau Beaudoin, of Waukegan, Illinois; son, Brian Siefering and his wife, Kelly, of Livermore, California; and daughter, Kirsten Siefering and her husband, Randal Stern, of Gretna; six grandchildren; brother, Gary Rasmussen and wife Ana (Ana passed July 25, 2021); brother, Lyle Rasmussen and wife Carol; brother, Paul Rasmussen; sister, Jean Brown and husband, Gordon; sister-in-law, Janet (Siefering) Tribolet; sister-inlaw, Sharon Pedersen; and several beloved nieces and nephews.

The family requests memorials be made to the American Heart Association (www2.heart.org), the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center (nufoundation.org) or the Villisca Theater Company.

Two events to reminisce and celebrate Karen’s life have been scheduled: Saturday, July 2, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the American Legion, 11690 S. 216th St. in Gretna and Sunday, July 3, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Primrose Restaurant, 619 Davis Ave., in Corning, Iowa.