Obituary of Karen Carpenter

Karen Joan Olsen Carpenter passed away on December 8, 2021, in Florida.   On January 25, 1954, she was born to Carlton and Anita Olsen and was raised in Escanaba, Michigan.  She was an Escanaba graduate of the class of 1972 and loved being a Yooper, telling everyone she met where she was from. Karen’s most prized accomplishment was single-handedly raising three daughters and later enjoying her grandchildren as she lived and breathed for her family.  Karen found her joy working part-time once the “girls” were a little older in retail and kept in contact with co-workers and customers over the years.  Karen never met a stranger and found a friend in everyone, loved by all who met her, touching countless lives in Michigan, Colorado, and Florida, where she resided.  She was known for her famous holiday rolls and her profound ability to get lost!   She is the most loved mom and Meme in the world and will be missed forever.  Luckily we already know her GPS was on, and she did not get lost on her journey to Heaven. 

Karen is survived by her three daughters. Sarah, her husband Jacob, and their four children, Bobby, Keith, Benjamin, and Norah. Rebecca, her husband Rick, and their three children Bailey, Spencer, Pearce.  Elizabeth, her husband Daniel, and their three children, Archer, Rory, and Gracie. She is also survived by her sister Christine (John) Duncan.  Brother James Olsen,  and Nephew Scott (Christen) Duncan. She is also survived by numerous cousins and a great-niece and nephew.   She is preceded in death by her parents, Carlton R. Olsen and Anita Ammel Olsen, numerous aunts and uncles, including a special Aunt Helen Olsen and Niece Deana L. Duncan-Chernick. 

No funeral has been planned. However, this summer, a celebration of life will occur in Escanaba, Michigan.