Karen Herman

January 21, 2021

Karen Herman, 68, passed away at the University of Colorado Anschutz, on December 22, 2020. Karen was an amazing woman, mother, and grandmother. Born on November 14, 1952, in Goodland, KS, Karen was the daughter of Poppy (Lawrence “Bud”) and Grammie (Juanita) Wostenberg. She was the second oldest of four children: Larry, Karen, Debbie and Pat, and was an awesome sister who was always there for her siblings. She attended grade school in Wallace, and high school in Sharon Springs, and lived in Wallace throughout her childhood. Growing up, Karen enjoyed fishing and going to the lake with her family. She really loved being outdoors, and that love that never faded.
After high school, Karen went to cosmetology school in Goodland. She met Warren Beek at her sister Deb’s wedding to Dex, one of Warren’s good friends, in 1973, and they married on July 20, 1974. They lived about 20 miles southeast of Cheyenne Wells, and enjoyed farming and working cattle together. Karen and Warren had two children, JR. and Sherry, and were getting ready to move to their new ranch in Central Kansas with their best friends, Don and Linda Unruh, when Warren died tragically in 1979. 
On June 12, 1982, Karen married Bill Herman, and they added two more beautiful children to the mix, Joshua and Dana. Karen enjoyed being a home-maker, and took pleasure in the little things in life, like rearranging furniture, or knocking down walls. Throughout their marriage, Bill picked up many useful skills, such as dry-wall repair, and packing an entire house into a four-horse trailer. All us kids also excelled at Tetris as a result.
Karen leaves behind a feisty family, who she was very proud of. Karen “Grammie K” loved nothing more than spending time with her grand-babies. She spent hundreds of hours watching Trevor, Kyle, and Danica while Sherry pursued her Ph.D., and more recently, she attended countless ballgames to watch them play. Grammie K was also always ready for a spontaneous trip to Yoder to see Dana, Jake, and her “Little Dolly,” Lacey. 
Karen was world-renowned for her scrumptious cinnamon rolls, her ability to make any house feel like home, and her skillful wielding of the fly swatter. She took great joy in caring for others and if you ever met her, the first thing she probably asked you was if you needed something to eat. Her house always smelled cozy, like cinnamon and clove and authentic country charm. Karen also loved playing the piano, bass guitar, and singing in a band with Warren and Don. This love of music was something she encouraged in her kids and grandkids too, and they never got in trouble for making music in the house, no matter how loud things got (uh-hum… Josh).  
She liked Halmark movies almost as much as she loved mowing her yard, and trust us she LOVED to mow—grass, weeds, rocks, or small trees—it didn’t matter. And lucky for her, JR. always happened to have another mower to give her for whatever holiday was approaching (birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Taco Tuesday). But she always earned her keep, helping JR. and Kirstie on the farm every chance she got, running the grain cart or picking up parts, she was always happy to pitch in. 
Karen was a master bargain-hunter and gift giver. She loved going shopping, especially with Grammie and Danica, and believed in spoiling her loved ones with little gifts she would pick up whenever she went out on her shopping expeditions. Bonus points if she bought something she wanted to return, necessitating another shopping trip in the near future.
Karen is survived by her mother, Juanita Wostenberg, sisters, Debbie See and Pat Hays, children: JR. Beek, Sherry Nelson, Joshua Herman, and Dana Fahlsing, son-in-law Jacob Fahlsing, daughter-in-law, Kirstie, and grandchildren: Trevor, Kyle, Danica, and Lacey. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Warren Beek, her father Lawrence “Bud” Wostenberg, and brother, Larry Wostenberg. There are no words that can express how much she will be missed. 
Funeral services were held on December 30, 2020 at the Brown Funeral Home Chapel in Cheyenne Wells followed by a public committal service at the Fairview Cemetery in Cheyenne Wells.  Friends and family can register online condolences and sign the guestbook at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com.  Memorial contributions can be made to the Karen Herman Memorial Fund c/o ECB; Box 888; Cheyenne Wells, CO  80810.  Funeral services were entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home in Cheyenne Wells.