Karen Lee

Karen Lee, 76, passed away Monday, January 28, 2019 at her home surrounded by her family.

Karen Colleen Watson was born on February 26, 1942 to Donald and Cleo (Fuller) Watson in Grant, NE.  She attended country school, later went to school in Brule, NE, and then graduated from Ogallala High School in 1960.  She was active in 4-H, raised sheep, and she excelled in sewing.

Karen met Dale in the summer of 1959 while she worked at Dairy Queen in Ogallala, NE with Dale’s sister, Kate. The next spring Karen agreed to marry Dale after he asked her four times – he wasn’t going to stop asking until she said yes!  They were married on June 26, 1960 and spent 58 years together. They welcomed three children: Steve, Randy, and Deneen. Dale and Karen worked together at Coast to Coast and Quick Electric, both in Ogallala. Karen also worked as an aide at the Ogallala and Gordon schools while her children were young.

The family moved to Gordon, NE in 1976. From that point on, Dale and Karen worked side by side at Lee Electric Motor Service and the Walker Mower sales and lawn service they operated together.  Karen volunteered in a variety of ways, including painting ladies nails at the nursing home and serving as a teacher’s aide while granddaughters Dalsey and Nichole were in school in Gordon.

Karen was an excellent cook and baker, and she was always the first one to jump up to do the dishes after family meals.  She had a particular “gravy wiggle” that her girls delighted to watch and try to emulate. Karen always looked for the positive side of life and had the patience of a saint - 58 years of Dale’s humor... Now that’s love! Oh, how he made her smile, and shake her head!

Karen’s favorite things were butterflies and angels. She loved to volunteer, loved to bake, loved to go on trips, and she loved to mow on her Walker lawn mower – but above all else, she treasured her grandchildren. Grandma Karen always knew how to make her grandgirls feel special!  She sewed Christmas gifts for the girls and made handmade cards for their birthdays and Valentine’s Day. Dale and Karen always made special efforts to attend all of their granddaughters dance, music, and theatre performances.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents Don and Cleo Watson and son Steve Lee. She is survived by her loving husband Dale; Son Randy (Anneka) Lee of Florissant, CO; Daughter Deneen (Jim) Lambley of Gordon, NE; granddaughters Nichole Lee, Tiffany Egan, Tessa Lee (Kyle Morgan), Makaela Lee, Kristina Lee, Dalsey Lambley, Rachel Lambley, and Lana Reed; and great grandchildren Braxtyn Lee-Olson, Miah Lee-Olson, Mercy Egan-Osentowski, Oliver Hovermale, and Ian Hahn.