Karleen Clausen

MALDEN — Karleen K. Clausen, 66, of Malden died Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

She was born June 25, 1952, in Princeton to Arnold C. and Marilyn J. (Peach) Lubbs. She married Peter Clausen on Aug. 11, 1973, at the Bureau Township Community Church.

Karleen attended Bureau Township Grade School and graduated from Walnut High School in 1970. She attended Sauk Valley Community College and graduated with an associate’s degree in nursing. She was a registered nurse and had worked at Perry Memorial Hospital and Colonial Hall.

Karleen was a member of the Bureau Township Community Church. In her youth, she was a member of the 4-H, showing Holstein cows and receiving blue ribbon and grand champion awards. She devoted much of her life to raising and homeschooling her children. Other interests throughout her life included gardening, canning, reading, helping others, bargain hunting, cooking and baking, raising her cocker spaniels, watching the Walnut fireworks and spending time with her grandkids. She was a midwife for many years helping with home births, including the delivery of nine grandchildren. She was most known by her loved ones for collecting pens of all types, needed or not.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband, Peter; her six children, Anthony Clausen of Malden, Sarah (Jason) Fields of Crystal Lake, Aaron (Laura) Clausen of rural Princeton, Kristin (Dane) Mehlbrech of rural Malden, Ben (Annie) Clausen of rural Walnut and Kelsey (Paul) Cayo of Greenville; 27 grandchildren and another on the way; her first great-grandchild expected anytime; several nieces and nephews; and her four sisters, Carolyn Meisenheimer of Walnut, Suzette Lubbs and Kathy Burton, both of rural New Bedford, and Lori Lubbs of rural Princeton.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a daughter, Melissa Kay at birth.

Cremation rites have been accorded. A gathering of family and friends will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 28, at the Garland Funeral Home in Walnut. Additional visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 29, at the Bureau Township Community Church, rural Princeton, followed by a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor N. Joseph Weyer officiating. Private family burial will be in the Greenville-Fairfield Cemetery in New Bedford.

In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations to the Bureau Township Community Church Benevolent Fund, The Youth Fund or EDS Research in her memory.

Online condolences may be left at www.garlandfuneralhome.com.