Karen Rae (Trettin) Scharper, 79, passed away peacefully on July 9th, 2026 at 10:20p.m. at House Care Center in Sigourney, Iowa. Karen was born on Christmas Eve 1946 on the Trettin family farm, east of Grafton, Iowa to Floyd and Gladys (Clemenson) Trettin. She graduated in 1965 from St. Ansgar High School.

Karen married Jerry Scharper in 1965 and divorced in 2006. Karen has 2 sons, Jim Edward Scharper (David Hailey) and Mike Alan Scharper, 2 grand children Caitlin (Scharper) Dohlman and Dalton Scharper, 3 great grandchildren, Kynsli, Kohler, and Georgia, many cousins, and many friends.

Karen has worked and lived in Grafton, Osage, Des Moines, Montezuma, and Keswick, Iowa. She retired in 2010.

Karen loved spending time with family and friends, doing family history, camping, traveling, cooking, organizing events, and enjoying her winters in Edinberg, Texas at Lazy Palms Ranch.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, sister Kathryn, and brother Richard.

Edwin Ploog of Keswick, Iowa was her loving life partner for 17+ years until he passed on January 7th, 2026.

Karen will have a visitation on July 13th, 2026 from 4-7pm and funeral on July 14th at 10am. Both visitation and funeral will be held at Holland-Coble Funeral Home in What Cheer, Iowa. Dinner after visitation and lunch after the funeral will be at the Legion Hall in Keswick, Iowa.

Karen will have another visitation on July 18th from 4-7p and funeral on  July 19th at 10am. The Des Moines visitation and funeral will be held at Hamilton's Funeral Home on Lyon. Dinner and Lunch will be served after the visitation and funeral at Hamilton's.

Karen has chosen to be cremated and will be layed to rest in the bench vault at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Des Moines at a later date.