Karen Lenz

Karen Ann (Messerschmidt) Lenz was born July 13, 1956, to Orville and Darlene (Archer) Messerschmidt in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was raised in the Missouri Valley area and graduated from Missouri Valley High School in 1974. Karen married Thomas Lenz on July 6, 1974, at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Missouri Valley. They lived in Woodbine for four years and then moved to Missouri Valley. Karen worked at Mutual of Omaha for 25 years. Seven years ago she started working for the UNMC Physicians reviewing and appealing insurance claims.

Karen was a member of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Missouri Valley where she had been a lector and a Eucharistic minister. She loved to garden and do canning. She also loved to sew, bake and make wedding mints, cakes, and salads.

Karen died on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha at the age of 54 years, nine months, and 14 days.

Karen was preceded in death by her father. She is survived by her husband, Tom Lenz of Missouri Valley, Iowa; two children, Jason Lenz and fiancée Sarah Johnson of Ralston, Nebraska; Kimberly Lenz and fiancé Lucas Robinson of Missouri Valley; eight grandchildren, Bryan, Haylee, Abbie, Seanna, Hailey, Brooklynn, Madison, and Zoe; mother, Darlene Messerschmidt of Missouri Valley; nine siblings, Lena (Larry) Fustos of Omaha, NE, Mike (Gala) Messerschmidt of Melrose, FL, Phyllis (Kenneth) Holst of Council Bluffs, IA, Paul Messerschmidt of Missouri Valley, IA, Patricia Geho of Omaha, NE, Connie (Richard) Shaeffer of Missouri Valley, IA, Peggy Marasco of Missouri Valley, IA, Janice Hoden of Council Bluffs, IA, Georgia (Dan) Hurd of Omaha, NE; and many other relatives and friends.