Karen Lee Dull
- It is with great sadness that the family of Karen Lee Dull, announces her unexpected death at the age of 82. Karen, a long-time resident of Baldwin and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin went from life, to life eternal on Friday, February 2nd at her home that she shared with her dear son Robert Dull.
Karen Lee was born on July 24, 1941 in St. Cloud, MN to Louise Corrine (Bailey) Linnell and Garold “Gary” Charles Linnell. She was raised in St. Cloud and confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in 1955 and graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School in 1959 with honors. Her siblings are Janna Warren-Perry of Apple Valley, MN, Tom Linnell of Florida, Charles (Karen) Linnell of Sartell, MN and Don (Laura) Linnell of Xenia, Ohio. She married Cecil W. Dull on June 15, 1974. Cecil and Karen had four children, his, her’s who became theirs in every sense. Dawn (Duane) Fern of Webster, WI, C.F. ( Judy) Dull of Webster, WI, and Lisa (Quinn) Seaman of Webster, WI and Robert W. Dull of St. Croix Falls, WI.
In her younger years, Karen was a Dance Instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Through this connection she became a dancer for the rock group called “The Greenmen” and ended up meeting her first husband Bob Wharton who was the father of her only son Robert W. Dull. Unfortunately, this union did not work out and Karen went to work for Fingerhut where she met her second husband Noel Kasper. They moved to the Twin Cities and were together a few years before Karen became a single Mom to Rob.
One day Karen was at the barber’s getting Rob’s haircut and she ran into Cecil who was also getting a haircut and the rest was history. An interesting note, the hair appointment was a rescheduled appointment and had that not happened, they may never have met. Cecil was a Funeral Director in Baldwin and they ran the funeral home together until 1998 when Cecil’s health prevented him from continuing to run the funeral home. They retired permanently to their beloved condo on Deer Lake in St. Croix Falls where they enjoyed the lake and the wildlife. Karen loved to feed the birds and helped feed and find homes for stray cats. Karen and Cecil were married for 31 years when Cecil passed away in 2005. Karen stayed on at Deer Lake until her passing.
One thing that Karen loved most was to share her love of Jesus with others. She also loved going to church, collecting beanie babies, dancing with Roger, reading, writing poems, gardening, purchasing antiques, enjoyed having cats and dogs, election board work, community events and traveling. She also was a savvy business woman who enjoyed making a good investment and toying in the stock market. But, what she enjoyed most of all was her family. Her son Rob and her grandson Gabriel were the light of her life.
Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil, her mother Louise, and her father Garold, granddaughter Nichol, grandson Aaron and son-inlaw Duane Fern.
She is survived by her children, Robert W. Dull, Dawn (Duane) Fern, CF ( Judy) Dull, and Lisa (Quinn) Seaman, her grandchildren, Gabriel R. Dull, Jessamae Seaman, Easton Seaman, Corben Becker, and Allison (Mitch) Fern Coe, her great grandchildren, Marley & Crosby Coe, brother-in-law Dr. Tom (Debbie) Dull and many beloved nieces, nephews and her special friend and companion Roger Pulkrabek.
Friends may join us to celebrate her life on February 10th with a visitation from 12:00pm-2:00pm (light lunch), funeral at 2:00pm at O’Connell Family Funeral Home 1010 Newton Street Baldwin, WI 54002. Interment will follow at Baldwin cemetery.