Karen Jean Howard, age 72, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher,
died peacefully on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Aurora Sheboygan County
Medical Center.
She was born in Milwaukee on August 13, 1953, to the late Eugene and
Elizabeth (Schneider) Kroll. Karen graduated from Martin Luther High School in
Greendale, WI in 1971. She then furthered her education at Concordia Teachers
College in River Forest, Illinois. Karen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
elementary education in 1975.
On June 7, 1975, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Howard at Oklahoma
Avenue Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. Karen and Ken recently celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary. Karen was a schoolteacher at Trinity Lutheran School
in downtown Sheboygan from 1994 until her retirement in 2017.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sheboygan and was involved in
various church and school activities. Karen enjoyed reading, crocheting, and
puzzle books. Traveling to Disney World with her children and grandchildren was
a cherished memory, as was taking a cruise to Alaska to celebrate her 25th
wedding anniversary. Karen was also an avid Chicago Bears fan.
Survivors include her husband, Ken, of Sheboygan; four children, Joel (Delinah)
Howard, of Menomonee Falls, Jamie (Blaine) Bitterman, of Eagle, Nebraska,
Joshua (Amanda) Howard, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Kirsten (Justin) Jackson,
of Cole Camp, Missouri; and eleven grandchildren, Megan, Melissa, Jessica,
Rebekah, Hannah, David, Emma, Zachary, Henry, Claire, and Corbin. Karen is
further survived by her sister, Christine Nichols, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and
many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A memorial service for Karen will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 1:00
p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 824 Wisconsin Ave., Sheboygan, with Rev.
Timothy Mech and Rev. John Berg officiating. Family and friends may gather at
the church on Friday morning from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service at 1:00
p.m. Interment will take place at the Lutheran Cemetery in the Garden Terrace
Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Karen’s name may be directed to
Trinity Lutheran School. A heartfelt thank you is extended to the nurses and staff
at Aurora Sheboygan Medical Center, Eric and Ramona Nimmer, past students
and colleagues, and Pastor Timothy Mech and Pastor John Berg for the
compassion and care that was given to Karen and the family during this time.
The Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home and Crematory is assisting the family with
arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.reinboldfh.com
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