aren is a 1974 UW-La Crosse graduate with a Mass Communications degree, where she                        was editor of the college newspaper The Racquet; and an editor of the yearbook. She                          has lived in Parma, Ohio; and La Crosse, West Allis, Racine, and now Milwaukee,                                    Wisconsin. She is a loving wife to Glen for more than 50 years, and mother to Kaspar (KC). She is author of four children’s books; and edits Glen’s book(s) and projects. She has travelled to four continents and more than half of USA’s state capitols. She and Glen have been good shepherds to 5 dogs, 6 cats, 2 rats, numerous gerbils, a mouse, and many fish & invertebrates, and are grandparents' to KC’s pets. Karen’s been a volunteer at the old Wisconsin Humane Society. She is known for her sweet smile that even strangers would comment on.
 

Together, Karen and Glen have hosted 22 international students and teachers in hopes of a more peaceful world. Karen was writer of many related Racine newspaper articles. She is an enthusiastic spouse to Glen as a Big Brother to three young men and supporter of their families. They have also been temporary parents' to three American teen boys.
 

She graduated from La Crosse Central High School, where she was the second girl in the school’s history to run for Student Council president. She was a leader in the all-city La Crosse Youth Council and the Job Corps social group. As 4-H president, she was chosen for a week-long Madison 4-H Leadership conference and became editor of their newsletter. She served as president and co-president of Racine League of Women Voters, becoming editor of their newsletter and co-editor of a city booklet given to new Racine residents. She has worked on many political campaigns.
 

She has danced with a live Myrick Park La Crosse Symphony presentation. She co-choreographed the dance portion of Amahl and the Night Visitors for the Racine Symphony, as well as a Russian folkdance performance in La Crosse. She was also cast in many community musicals.

She was a member of Racine International Folk Dancers and performed with Moja Vlast, a Czech Moravian dance ensemble, as well as a Scottish Country Dance group. Additionally, she supported Dnipro, the Ukrainian group with which KC performed. She loved many years of ice and roller skating; and ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, yoga, and exercise dance classes, including belly dancing. She is a loyal TV watcher of figure skating and gymnastics.
 

She is a grateful former member of Toastmasters, which taught her to comfortably give TV station tours, speak in front of school groups, and ad-lib on the air for TV membership drives and the Channel 10 Great TV Auction. For 35+ years, she was a creative ad writer, listings editor, Viewer Service Center and student data entry supervisor and volunteer for Milwaukee PBS, and co-designer of national automated web TV listings with the station’s software company. She also chaired and co-chaired MATC’s multi-campus Giving Campaign, working to get an environmental group included.

While in college, she and Glen helped found the La Crosse Coulee Region Group of the Sierra Club and later, Karen edited the state-wide Muir View. With Glen, she spent many years looking through telescopes at the Modine Benstead Astronomical Society in Racine County.

 

She served as an advertising copywriter for WRIT (all-news radio) and WBCS (Big Country Sound). During this tenure, she collaborated with engineers to earn a Third Class Radio Telephone Operator’s engineering license. She produced the monthly newsletter for Milwaukee’s Blue River Café coffee house, highlighting nationally recognized musical artists. Karen worked for Roob Creative Photographers and managed Photo Departments for Stein Drugs in Shorewood and near the airport, editing their monthly customer newsletter. She won their state-wide Super 8 (!) movie contest.

 

She managed Racine’s Rapids Plaza Cinema and was named the top state-wide movie promoter, as well as joining Glen to have the highest vending sales cents-per-person in the state. In college, she worked as hostess and waitress at the former Walt’s Restaurant. With Glen, she raised more than $2,000 in a fund-raising campaign for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital through the Teenagers March Against Leukemia.

 

She served as chair of the Parent’s Group for Modjeska Youth Theatre Company, overseeing support initiatives and leading fundraisers. She was editor of a Duke University ADHD internet newsletter, and organized attention deficit disorder informational groups at KC’s schools; she also designed a more-positive diagnostic questionnaire. She is a personal insurance advocate.

She has been president of the Milwaukee International Ikebana Japanese flower-design group, with many years of exhibition. After retirement, Karen enjoyed volunteering and watching movies with the Milwaukee Film Festival. She became a Quaker, taking on leadership of the Friends’ annual fundraising Gift Shop and convener of their Hospitality Committee. She loves reading and volunteers on the library committees at the meetinghouse. She gardens in the Quaker Community Garden with
Glen; they enjoy growing pretty flowers in their Milwaukee yard.

As a teen, she created many sewing projects, including two prom dresses, and became a skillful knitter. Her favorite place to shop is at resale stores. She loves sparkly, multi-colored things; and decorating for Halloween and Christmas. She says the only time she gambles is when buying sweet corn (would it be sweet enough?). She is fond of dark chocolate, caramel, raspberries, and eclairs, and nearly anything made with onions. Her popular potluck specialty is deviled eggs.
 

A breast cancer survivor, she has lived with chronic Fibromyalgia since about 1985. In later years, she has been diagnosed with A-fib and myasthenia gravis. She was a regular blood donor. She lives by the adage to be kind to each other, for we never know what someone else is going through (often, they don’t know, themselves). Also: Followers are as important as leaders.