Karen Kay Kellgren-Heath-Butterfield was born October 19th,1950, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and departed this life March 14th, 2025, at the age of 74 at her home in Mansfield, Missouri.
Karen grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with her parents, Leonard & Madelyn, and siblings Bobbie & Marie, and her beloved dog, Twinkle, who was by her side until she left home. After graduating high school, she moved to Muncie, Indiana, where she met her first husband, Ronnie Heath, with whom she had 3 beautiful children: Madeline, Christopher, and Francesca. Ronnie served in the military, so the family had the good fortune of living in Oahu, Hawaii, and Santa Ana, California. Karen really enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom when the children were young. Some of her favorite activities were baking cookies, making sandcastles at the beach, and dancing to rock-n-roll music with them.
During her working years, she worked as a data-entry administrator. She worked for 19 years at Granite Construction Company in Watsonville, California, where she made many dear friends during her time there.
Karen loved her family dearly. And in 2007, she moved to Springfield, Missouri, to be close to her grandchildren. She enjoyed attending their school events and watching them grow up. She became guardian of her oldest grandson, Anthony, when he was 9 years old. Since then, they have shared an especially close bond. They had many in-depth conversations over the years, and she loved the delicious meals he made for her. As her children gained a significant other, she gained a “bonus” son or daughter. They became a welcomed part of the family as well.
She also adopted a new part-time career as a caregiver to several elderly and disabled people. She loved learning about their lives and assisting them with their daily routines.
While living in Springfield, Karen received the blessing of finding love later in life. Karen’s youngest daughter, Francesca told her she would like her to meet one of her co-workers, a truly kind and polite Christian man, named Phil, who was always saying, “Praise Jesus.” Francesca introduced them to each other in the CMC Recycling lunchroom. They started dating shortly thereafter and married a few years later. She was united in marriage to Phillip Daniel Butterfield on February 14th, 2018.
Karen was a woman of faith and a baptized believer in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. She was a faithful member of Mansfield Christian Church. She found joy in reading the Holy Scripture, meeting new people, listening to Christian music, visiting thrift stores, and enjoying meals at McDonald’s. Her favorite companion was her granddaughter’s dog, Betsey.
Karen was preceded in death by her father, Leonard Kellgren; her mother, Madelyn Blodgett; and her brother, Robert Kellgren.
She is survived by her husband, Phillip Butterfield; her sister, Marie Kellgren; her three children, Madeline Heath (Alfredo), Christopher Heath (Ann), and Francesca Mudersbach (Jason); and her six grandchildren, Brittany Escobedo, Anthony Bice, Ashley Mudersbach, Alyssa Mudersbach, Marissa Mudersbach, and Justin Mudersbach.
Those who knew and loved Karen will cherish her memory and miss her laughter and cute little dances.
Karen’s family will be spreading her ashes out to the ocean in Pacific Grove, California, one of the many beaches she loved during her beautiful lifetime.
