Karen Pauline (Fredericksen) Hertzke was born on Dec. 8, 1939, to Paul and Carrie (Hansen) Fredericksen at home in rural Armstrong, Iowa. She graduated from Armstrong Community School in 1958. After high school, Karen attended DeLyles Academy of Cosmetology and graduated in 1959.

Karen met her future husband, Keith Hertzke on the dance floor at Interlaken Ball Room in Fairmont and they later married on July 24, 1960, at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Armstrong, Iowa. Keith and Karen lived in Austin, Minn. for two years before moving to Fairmont, Minn. in 1962. They made their home there and were blessed with three daughters, Jolene, Gail, and Paula. Keith and Karen owned and operated Hertzke Construction for many years where Karen helped with many jobs and was often doing the finishing work for many homes and helping with the bookwork. Later in life, they enjoyed traveling to Arizona spending time at their home in Greenfield Village where she enjoyed dancing, golfing, hiking in the foothills, and spending time with her sisters.

Karen was a longtime active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont where she was very involved with Missions. She was also a member of Rose Lake Golf Club and got a hole-in-one. Karen was a hard worker who enjoyed keeping her home and flower gardens beautiful. She enjoyed baking, walking around the lake in Fairmont, and playing Mah Jong with her friends in Arizona and Fairmont. Family was the most important thing to Karen, and she loved spending time with them, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Those left to cherish her memory include her loving husband of sixty-four years, Keith Hertzke; three daughters, Jolene (Joe) Rosol, Gail (Mike) Pearson, and Paula (Kevin) Rokusek; seven grandchildren, Amanda (Adam) Smith, Ben (Kirsten) Rosol, Megan Rosol (fiancé, Kevin Schurman), Brandon (Mary) Pearson, Mikkala (Skylor) Drummond, Justin Rokusek and Sarah Rokusek; eleven great-grandchildren; sister, Ardis Sweeney; brothers and sisters-in-law, Shelda Beener, Ilona (David) Boekelman, Nyla (Paul) Vanourney and Bruce (Jan) Hertzke; many nieces, nephews and other extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Carrie Fredericksen; infant son, Brian Hertzke; parents-in-law, Raymond and Pearl Hertzke; brother, Virgil (Ruthe) Fredericksen; and two sisters, Esther (Ken) LeVan and Marie (Dean) Ricard.

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