Karen (Schmidt) Hohenshelt of Sadieville, KY went to be with her Lord on January 19, 2016. She passed away peacefully in her home after a long battle with cancer.

Karen was born on July 16, 1944 in Harvey, ND, the eldest daughter of Walter and Ora (Brademeyer) Schmidt. She grew up on the family farm near Goodrich, ND, graduating as valedictorian from Goodrich High School in 1962. She went to college at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics. She became a Registered Dietician after an internship at Hines VA in Chicago, IL, specializing as a dietician for patients on renal dialysis. After moving to California, Karen continued to work for the Veterans Administration for a number of years. In 1982 she began work at DaVita Dialysis Clinics, a tenure continuing for 33 years. She became well known for her work with Renal Dialysis, was published in medical journals, and spoke at dietetic conventions. Following a move to Kentucky in 2011, Karen continued to work with DaVita Clinics in Ohio for as long as she was able. She enjoyed her work and gave personalized care to her patients for almost 50 years.

Karen married Tom Hohenshelt on August 4, 1976 in Goodrich, ND. They lived in Southern California including Costa Mesa and Valencia, and moved to Northern California in 1982, residing in Shingletown, Palo Cedro, and Redding. They moved to Sadieville, KY in 2011. She loved all sports, especially NASCAR, was an amazing cook who loved to feed people, and a lifelong NDSU Bison fan. Because of her alma mater, her favorite animal was the bison. Her favorite flower was the sunflower and she loved the color rust. She was active in 4H and AWANA for many years. Her favorite Bible verse was Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose".
Karen was a loving wife and mother. Sharing in Karen's life were husband Tom of Sadieville, KY; daughter Joy Hohenshelt of Sadieville, KY; son, Jefferey Hohenshelt of Georgetown, KY; daughter-by-heart, Katrina Zimmer of Sadieville, KY; and beloved dog, Zoe. She was a caring wife, mother, daughter and sister. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Ora (Brademeyer) Schmidt, and survived by her siblings, sister, Jane (Ray) Hinsch, Warrenville, IL; brother John (Maritza) Schmidt, Peoria, AZ; sister, Nell (Terry) Mertz, Grand Forks, ND; sister, Myrna (Robert) Noss, Grand Forks, ND; sister-in-law, Donna (Dick Tolkmitt), Ridgecrest, CA; and brother-in-law, Jim (Margaret) Hohenshelt, Santa Clara, CA. She was a kind and thoughtful aunt to her many nieces and nephews, and a generous friend to many.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 30 at the First Baptist Church in Goodrich, ND.

Burial will be in the Goodrich City Cemetery.

Visitation will be a half hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Fund, specify (Early detection of Pancreatic Cancer by blood test).

Pancreatic Research Fund
Background

Right now the best method to find Pancreatic Cancer and the way Karen's was found is by MRI. In most cases that is already too late, fewer than 1 in 20 survive more than a few months. Karen fought and survived 30 months. Pancreatic Cancer is now the number 3 cause of cancer deaths. Two Doctors in collaborations with Markey Cancer Center laboratory researchers, cancer surgeons and oncologists are working to develop a blood test that may be able to detect these cancers at an early stage. The initial results are very promising. None of this work is yet published and some initial funding is coming from the National Institute for Health (NIH). More funding is needed and could produce results earlier to save lives. One of the researchers was Karen's Oncology Doctor.
Should you desire to remember and honor Karen in this way, please contribute to:
(100% of your contribution goes directly to the pancreatic research fund)
Markey Cancer Fund
MAIL:
UK Markey Cancer Foundation
Karen Hohenshelt memorial gifts, Indicate for Pancreatic Research
800 Rose Street CC160
Lexington, KY 40536

www.ukmarkey.org
scroll down to the "Donate Now" button
that will bring you to a page that will guide you to make a memorial gift
Entering Karen's name will be enough for us to direct the gift
However, if they wish they may type "for pancreatic research" in the comments section