Karen Allan

Karen Allan, 71, of Newton, passed away Sunday, April 3, 2016, at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9 at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Dodge with burial following at North Lawn Cemetery. The visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Fort Dodge.

Karen was born in Fort Dodge June 7, 1944, to Stanley and Esther Kohler. She grew up on the family farm near Badger. As a young girl, she attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. She later attended Fort Dodge Senior High and graduated from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake. Karen was an elementary school teacher. She taught first and third grade as well as resource. Karen first started teaching in Storm Lake after college and continued teaching in Iowa City. She also taught for many years in the Marshalltown School District in Marshalltown.

Karen was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Marshalltown for many years before moving to Newton in 1999, and joined the First Presbyterian Church in Newton. She was also a member of PEO in Marshalltown and involved in the MS support group. She was a PTA member and a part of her sorority in college. Karen greatly enjoyed her friends and family, teaching, working with children, cooking, playing the violin and piano as well as singing. Prior to being diagnosed with MS, she loved being active playing golf and skiing. She also enjoyed going to community concerts and playing Scrabble.

Karen is survived by her son Dr. Neal (Cindy) Allan; and grandchildren, Sydney and Drew Allan of Colorado Springs, Colo.; her daughter Nicole Allan of Broomfield, Colo.; and her brother Dale (Julie) Kohler of Bedford. She was preceded in death by her parents Stanley and Esther Kohler of Fort Dodge.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the National MS Society in honor of Karen.