Sunday, December 8, 2024
Karen Lee Bork, age 79, was called home to her eternal resting place on November 6, 2023.
Karen was born on June 24, 1944 in Wausau, the daughter of the late Rev. Lyle J. and Alice (Hinz) Koenig. She was united in marriage to Vern Bork on September 29, 1963 and was blessed with a son, Sam, in 1969.
Karen was a longtime and faithful member of Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church in Appleton and lived her faith in all that she did. She enjoyed a long career in construction with KI and Boldt, but her life was filled with fun, friends and family at the cabin in Waupaca, which she and Vern built by hand, or during the summers camping, fishing and being in the sun at Herman’s Landing in Hayward. She is probably best remembered by loved ones as smiling and joking around, and will be missed by the countless number of anonymous people whose days were made better by the love and warmth she showed to anyone and everyone who crossed her path.
Karen is survived by her husband, Vern, her son, Sam, her daughter in love (Sam’s wife) Dani, her siblings Sharol Jackson (Fort Collins, CO); Joan (Fred) Rath (Tampa, FL), Wayne (Sharon) Koenig (Fall Creek), and Bill Hanson (Appleton), and her nieces and nephews: Kari, Lynette, Lisa, Shaun, Jodi, Ryan, Tiffany, Fred, Sam and Sarah, and her fur babies Maxwell and Baxter. She was preceded in death by her sister, Corrinne Hanson.
A visitation time will begin at 9:00 am until the funeral service at 10:00 am on Wednesday, November 15 at Wichmann’s Funeral Home at 537 North Superior St. in Appleton. In lieu of flowers, Karen would appreciate donations sent to WELS African Outreach (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod missions in Africa).
