Karen Kay Wheeler, age 79 of Cambridge, Iowa passed away Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames.

Karen was born on November 1, 1945, at Des Moines Lutheran Hospital to Lloyd Joseph Lane and Evelyn May (Torgerson) Lane. She grew up in Maxwell and graduated from Maxwell High School in 1964.

She married Lyle Wheeler on June 4, 1966, at the Cambridge Bible Presbyterian Church. They made their home together in Cambridge and celebrated 49 years of marriage before his passing in 2015.

Being an only child, Karen always hoped to have several children, but was only able to have one, a daughter SueAnn. Karen took this in stride and always said that the good Lord gave them a tomboy which she took to be as having a boy and a girl in one. They enjoyed her to the fullest. In her youth, SueAnn kept them very busy going to music concerts, plays and various athletic events. She was an all-state pitcher for Ballard High School in Huxley, Iowa and then was recruited to play at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Karen and Lyle enjoyed following SueAnn around Iowa and the greater Midwest to see her play softball for many years.

Karen's earliest jobs were at the Maxwell Cleaners and Bankers Trust before joining Donnelley Marketing in Nevada for twenty-one years working in the key punch and payroll departments. Following Donnelley's closing, Karen worked as a secretary for the Mental Health Center in Ames for a year and a half before joining Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa in Des Moines for thirteen years before retiring in 2008.

Born a "preemie" back in the days when the mortality rate was much higher for preterm births, Karen spent the first 2 months of her life in an incubator. It was there where it would seem her independent and overcoming spirit took form. Experiencing various health afflictions over the course of her lifetime, she always persevered and adapted herself to continue doing the things she loved and to continue caring for the people who she loved. She never let other people's well-intended worry place limitations on the aspects of life she enjoyed and never let fears for her own health hold her back from doing the things she wanted for herself or others. She lived life on her own terms and defied the odds against her on numerous occasions.

Her greatest victory of perseverance came in 2010. After years of struggling with a severe case of diabetic gastroparesis which diminished her quality of life causing her to be hospitalized for IV treatments every 3 to 4 weeks, she and SueAnn began making numerous trips to Mayo Clinic seeking a solution. In August of 2010 their top gastrointestinal surgeon suggested performing a modified gastric bypass to remove the non-functioning part of her stomach, and this surgery both extended and enhanced Karen's quality of life for an additional 15 years.

Karen's passions included cooking, baking, gardening, genealogy research, attending Bible studies and various church groups, and CATS. The Wheeler house had various pets throughout the years, but following Lyle's passing Karen found a special bond in her dearest feline companion, Daisy.

In her past five years Karen enjoyed a second opportunity of love and human companionship with Ray Hicks. She and Ray enjoyed driving around to visit various parks and local landmarks, meals at Snacktime in Nevada, holding hands and watching TV, attending church, and being entertained by their feline family members Daisy, Kitty Kat, Petunia, and Scooter.

Karen is survived by her beloved daughter, SueAnn Wheeler, of Pataskala, Ohio, and Ray Hicks of Cambridge. She was preceded in death by her parents, and husband Lyle.

Karen chose to be cremated with the following services planned. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home (1418 Fawcett Pkwy) in Nevada, Iowa on Monday May 12th. The Celebration of Life service will be on Tuesday May 13 at 10:30 a.m. also at the funeral home. Following the service, a luncheon will be held at the funeral home. Inurnment will be at the Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge.

In lieu of flowers, Karen requested memorial contributions be made in her honor to the Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders who assisted her many times over the years.

Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home in Nevada has been entrusted with the care of Karen and her arrangements. Condolences may be shared online at www.rasmussonfh.com.