ALAMOSA — Karen Laura Krueger Wagner, longtime resident of Alamosa, died Friday evening, March 8, 2019 at the Evergreen Nursing Home.
Karen was born Sept. 13, 1939 in Marshfield, Wis. to Rev. Gustav and Emma Krueger. She was the youngest of six.
She graduated from Marshfield High School in 1957, then attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn. for one year, when she transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital for Nursing in Milwaukee, Wis. and became a registered nurse.
The call of the West then brought her to Denver, where she worked as a nurse at Colorado General Hospital and met Paul Wagner of Alamosa.
They married Sept. 8, 1965 and moved around as a U.S. Navy family, having three children along the way: Rick, Ingrid and Mitch. They settled in Alamosa in August of 1972 and added Gretchen as number four.
Karen provided nursing skills at Alamosa Community Hospital from 1980 and then retired from San Luis valley Regional Medical Center in 1998. She later volunteered as an ambassador at SLVRMC from 2006 to 2015. She is remembered for her tender loving care, ready smile and devotion to her profession.
More than that, she is remembered for her parenting skills, as a loving wife, grandmother and friend to all (and wine party for friends on the first day back to school every year). Karen’s smile would light up a room and she was quick to greet you with a strong hug and warm embrace.
She is survived by her husband, Paul; children, Rick, Ingrid Nagy (Cade), Mitch (Nicky) and Gretchen Fowler (Laurence); her seven grandchildren, (Trae, Breck, Gus, Adrian, Luke, Jack, and Lilly); and her sister, Mary Ellen Kramer of Wauwatosa Wis.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She chose cremation and a celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. in Alamosa at Trinity Lutheran Church located at 52 El Rio.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to SLV Health Foundation, 106 Blanca Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101.
Cremation was chosen and entrusted to Rogers Family Mortuary of Alamosa.
