Karmen Anne Ketelsen, 86, of Lowden, Iowa, passed away June 1st at Mechanicsville Specialty Care.  A Celebration Of Life will be held June 19th from 4pm to 7pm at The High Point, 509 Lombard St, Clarence, Iowa. A private grave site service will take place at Dayton Valley Cemetery the next day.

Karmen was born on February 7, 1940, in Anamosa, Iowa, the daughter of John D. Koppenhaver and Nelda J. (Porter) Koppenhaver. She grew up in the local area before moving with her family to Clinton and graduated from Clinton High School in 1958, later attending the American Institute of Commerce in Davenport graduating March of 1960 with a degree in Advanced Accounting.

On June 1962, Karmen was united in marriage to Carl Jacob Ketelsen in Bennett, Iowa. She became a farmers wife and  built a life centered on family, hard work, and community. Carl preceded her in death in 2006.  Karmen was known for her strong work ethic, organizational skills and the ability to connect with others. She had a natural gift for conversation and never knew a stranger. Karmen's philosophy was simple.  She would say "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

During the mid 1970's til the mid 1990's she was your Tupperware lady while her children were in grade school.  In 1990 she worked for the Cedar County Sheriff's department for a short time before taking a tele survey position with Millward Brown and associates in Davenport and ended her career as a maintenance technician at the Wilton Westbound Safety Rest Area on Interstate 80 in 2017.

Karmen enjoyed staying active and involved in her community.  She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tipton teaching Kindergarten in Sunday school til 1980.   She ran the 4-H food stand at the Cedar County Fair for several years.  As a dedicated member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Clarence, she was elected to serve in multiple positions including the presidency.

Above all, Karmen loved her family and took great pride in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her friendliness, her strong spirit, and the way she made people feel welcome and valued.

Karmen is survived by her children: Mike (Edie McCoy) Ketelsen of Sparta, Wisconsin; Lynn Ketelsen of St. Louis, Missouri; Mark Ketelsen of Cody, Wyoming; and Thomas Ketelsen of Mechanicsville, Iowa; two grandsons, two great-grandsons and one great granddaughter; her sister, Kathleen Clark of Joliet, Illinois; her brother, Dale Koppenhaver of Clinton, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Carl; and her sister, Karen Landguth of Richardson, Texas.

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