Karen Johnson, a longtime Sioux Falls resident, died following a long battle with brain cancer on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Dougherty Hospice with family and friends by her side. Karen was 71.

Karen was born November 29, 1953, in Sioux Falls, SD, to Rev. Virgil and Judy (Ellefson) Johnson. The daughter of a minister, she attended school first in Parker, SD, and then in Watertown, SD, before moving to Sioux Falls, SD, in 1966. She attended Edison Middle School and Washinton High School, where she graduated in 1972. Following high school, Karen attended Augustana College, where she obtained a B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in history.

On June 12, 1976, Karen was married to Mark West in Sioux Falls, SD. The couple moved several times in the early years of marriage due to Mark's position in the US Navy. In 1980, the couple was living in Hampton, VA, when they welcomed their first child, Nathan. The couple returned to Sioux Falls in 1982 before welcoming their second child, Jennifer, in 1984. The couple parted ways in 1991 but remained loving co-parents. At this time, Karen began a career in Cancer Care at McKennan Hospital. She first worked as a Cancer Care Educator before being promoted to director of the Cancer Care Institute. Her career in Cancer Care took her to Rapid City Reginal Hospital in Rapid City, SD, in 1996, where she remained until moving back to the Sioux Falls area in 2005.

Karen is a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, having served as President of the American Lutheran Church Women and Church Council. She was also a member of the Sioux Falls Junior League, where she was on the starting committee for the Race for the Cure (now known as the Race Against Breast Cancer).

Karen owned several businesses over the years, first in Rapid City when she opened Once Upon a Vine wine shop and then in Sioux Falls when she opened Buffaloberries, a healthy food Bistro. In 2007, Karen purchased a home in the historic area of Phillips Avenue in Sioux Falls and began renovations. In 2014, she opened the Jasper Stone Bed and Breakfast, which remained in operation until shortly after Karen was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2023.

Karen enjoyed traveling, especially spending time with her partner, Rick Knobe, on his boat, where they toured extensively along the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic coast. Karen became very interested in her family's heritage and spent many hours creating connections and stories surrounding her ascendents and connecting with different family members. She loved the Black Hills, where her family had a cabin at Terry Peak for many years, and she loved spending time with her children. She maintained an incredibly positive outlook even after beginning her battle with cancer.

Grateful for having shared her life are her son Nate (Manny) West of Orlando, FL, and daughter Jenn (Jay) West, both of Orlando, FL; grandson Ethan Carames-West; sister Janet (Jim) Keck and brother Marv (Sheila) Johnson.

Her parents, Rev. Virgil and Judy Johnson, preceded her in death.

In lieu of flowers, memorials should be directed to Augustana College or the Glioblastoma Foundation at https://glioblastomafoundation.org/get-involved/donate

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 10:30 am at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 909 West 33rd Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57105.