Karen Lee Dueck

Karen Lee Dueck, 74 of Grove, Oklahoma passed away on Monday August 14, 2023, at The Highlands at Owasso, Oklahoma. Karen was born on April 1, 1949 in Dodge City, Kansas to Arthur Lee Rall and Wanda Jean Bloxsom. In September of 2000 she married Dennis Lee Dueck Sr. (who was a childhood friend and reconnected in their fifties). She graduated from Peabody High School May 23, 1967, and attended college at Montana University, Rogers State University, and received her Associate’s Degree in 1992 at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. Eventually moving to Bartlesville, OK, she worked at ConocoPhillips for 17 years and retired with the title of Drilling Engineer Technician. Karen was a devoted Christian her entire life and played clarinet in the orchestra at First Baptist Church in Bartlesville. The church was a second home for her and daughter Karie as they would spend time there during her practices, attending on Wednesdays and Sundays for many years. Karen’s proudest moment was when her dad came to visit and saw her on tv saying “heck sis, I didn’t know you knew how to play that thing” referring to her clarinet playing at the church. She loved helping the Grove Community and was an active member as the Secretary Treasurer for the GCPAAA and VIPS, helping raise more than $5,000 for the duration as a volunteer for these organizations. Selling wreaths and doing car shows were her favorite means of fundraising. She was also a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans. She enjoyed watching games shows like Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, People Puzzler, and America Says with her family. She happily endured Westerns with her husband, enjoyed the sappy romantic Lifetime movies with her daughter Karie, and crime shows with her grand-daughter Tabitha. She enjoyed playing Scrabble with her daughter Karie and became a friendly family feud to win though Karen could be humble, she took pride those times she won to yell to Dennis “I finally won, wahoo”! Karen loved her fur babies Sammie, Daisy, and Kia as they were known to cuddle on the chair with her and follow everywhere she would go around their home. She also was proud of her music room where she had instruments including a clarinet, guitars, one of which she won in an auction signed by Eddie Van Halen which she was excited to show everyone, drum set, keyboard to name a few. She was aspiring to learn some of the ones she hadn’t learned yet, but her devotion to fundraising organizations and to her family didn’t allot much time though she would’ve said she would never take that time away from her primary focuses of community and family. She loved collecting Coca-Cola items, Elvis, and crafting flowers to create wreaths with her daughter for Grove Police Department Fundraisers. Karen and Dennis enjoyed going fishing over the years. Dennis always said she was the better fisher person; Karen always said she caught the fish and Dennis caught naps! The last time her son-in-law Leon got to visit with her at the hospital, she gently grabbed his wrist and said, “did you know dr. pepper has zero sugar now”? She would mention to him several times about her favorite drink so became a joke between the two to mention to each other and for Leon, she will always be Momma Karen. Karen’s daughter Karie and grand-daughter Tabitha were very close and referred to her as their best friend, their most memorable times together weren’t going on outings, but just knowing she was a phone call away or being able to sit in the living room with all the dogs and simply just talk with her. Karen is proceeded in death by her parents Arthur Lee Rall and Wanda Jean Bussey. As well as a brother William Arthur Rall: Niece Shelly Prine, nephew Nick Prine, great niece Natasha Jean Prine, brother-in-law Melvin Schultz and previous brother-in-law Lonnie Huff. She expressed during her final weeks that if it were her time, she was ready to be with her mom and dad again. Karen is survived by her husband of the home Dennis Dueck, her daughter Karie Fountain; grand-daughter Tabitha Patton; future son-in-law Leon Fleming, 2 sisters Norma Schultz and Katherine Huff; brother-in-law Walter Dueck: along with many extended family and friends. The Family will have a Celebration of Life Memorial Service at COS Church located at 1600 Har-ber Road in Grove, Oklahoma on Friday, September 1st, 2023, at 11am. Flower arrangements may also be sent to the church. Her daughter and son-in-law have set up a GoFundMe to assist with funeral costs on Facebook page Karie Fountain-Fleming for those who can assist and greatly appreciated through this difficult time. Cremation Services have been placed in the care of Brown-Winters Cremation Service in Miami, Oklahoma. Friends and family may send the family notes of encouragement by viewing Mrs. Dueck’s Tribute Page at www.brown-winters.com.

Karen Lee Dueck

April 1, 1949 - August 14, 2023