Obituary/Karen Fern Coffield, 86

Karen Fern Coffield, 86, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, January 31, 2026, at the Kittson Memorial Nursing Home in Hallock, MN.

Karen was born on July 9,1939, in Wyoming, MN, to Arnold and Ethel Dickey. Karen grew up in Wyoming and later Forest Lake, MN. She graduated from Forest Lake High School in 1957. She enjoyed school and worked for the Superintendent of Schools as a secretary in Forest Lake High School during her high school years.

During her last summers of high school, Karen worked at a factory making greeting cards.  Once she graduated, she took a job at Northwestern National Bank in St. Paul. That’s where she met Jerry LeRoy Coffield; they fell in love and were wed on March 26,1966. Karen and Jerry were blessed with five children.  

Karen was a very devoted wife, mother, sister, and grandmother. She was the #1 parts runner and chef for her husband and family. In her later years, Karen worked at the group home in Karlstad for twenty plus years and made many lifetime friends along the way. Karen would occasionally join Jerry as he drove around the Cannon Township “block” to see the grandkids. Karen loved to read, watch the news, and visit. She enjoyed the “Tidbits” delivery from her Cenex friends (Craig). 

In recent years, Great Grandma Karen and grandaughter, Iris, became penpals. Iris would send “questions” to Grandma Karen. Through these treasured sheets, we have learned that Karen loved red cardinal birds, pumpkin pie, the 4th of July, and Minnesota Vikings football. As a child, Karen enjoyed fishing with her dad (he would say “go dig some worms” and away we would go fishing, summer or winter), ice skating, riding bike (she got a new one at age 12), going to rental cabins or motels in various towns. One of her favorite memories was the 4th of July parade at Forest Lake (the biggest parade in the state). As a family, they went to the Como Zoo a few times a year and spent time with neighbors at their cabins and always went swimming in the lake on hot days.

Karen is survived by her children James (Sue), Cheryl, Randy (Mendy), Daniel, and Jesse. Grandchildren: Jason (Hollie) Staebell, Emily (Zeke) Coffield, Whitney (Josh) Carr, Brady (Hayley) Coffield, Trevor (Grace) Coffield, Katie (Alex) Vagle, Kyler Coffield and Connor Coffield. Great grandchildren: Ashlie, Alise and Sydnie Staebell, Parker, Easton, Colton, and Baylor Carr, Iris, Livi, Sutton and Sander Coffield, Croix and Clay Coffield, Shay Vagle, her sister Nancy Stryker and Jim Holweger, sister-in-law Faye Dickey, brother-in-law Pat Coffield, Karen also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends as well as her beloved cats,”Tommy and Kitty”. 

Karen is preceded in death by her husband, Jerry, her parents; Arnold Dickey, Walter and Ethel Walz, brother Don Dickey, brother-in-law Ed Stryker, sister-in-laws Myrtle and Jim Lawler, Bernice and Ivan Olson, and brother-in-law Jack and Beverly Coffield.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, February 11 at 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Lake Bronson, MN. Visitation was held at the church for an hour before the service.