Karen Jae Holm-Jantsch

Karen was born to Ervin and Janel Holm in Bozeman, Mont., on Jan. 13, 1959, as the first of their five girls. The family moved to Sandpoint in 1972. She attended Sandpoint Jr. High and Sandpoint High School where she was a cheerleader, involved in Ponderettes, was co-salutatorian, and graduated in 1977.

After graduation, Karen attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., for two years and then transferred to Western Oregon State College in Monmouth, Ore. She graduated in 1982 with a degree in art and elementary education, after which she managed a ceramics studio in Salem, Ore., and became proficient with all forms of art, especially calligraphy, textiles, and painting. 

Karen also worked at Oregon State University in the Physics Department where she met her future husband, Harry. She followed the love of her life back to Germany and they married in 1987. That love produced three wonderful children: Mareike (married to Vinz), Patrick, and Christopher. The family eventually settled in southern Germany on beautiful Lake Constance in Immenstaad. Karen became fluent in German and worked for a German company, Ravensburger, as an artist.

For most of her adult life, Karen had health challenges and was diagnosed at age 37 with a brain tumor. She endured numerous surgeries, treatments, and lifestyle changes over the years, and fought hard to be there for her family. Then in 2022, when faced with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, she brought the same strength and grace she had always shown. 

Karen was an amazingly brave warrior, never wanting to dwell on herself, always giving to others. She helped refugees and seniors, was involved with an international women's group, and bible study while helping her husband to raise their family. 

She traveled regularly back to the United States to make sure that her children and husband were connected to her family here. She was a treasured daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend and will be incredibly missed.

It was Karen's explicit wish not to buy flowers or wreaths. Instead, she encouraged donations to be given to Doctors Without Borders or the World Hunger organization known as Welthungerhilfe, www.welthungerhilfe.org.