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Karen Taylor-Mortensen
Karen Taylor-Mortensen, 73, of Akron, died Sunday, March 14, 2021.
Karen was born Feb. 26, 1948, in Akron to Harvey and Anna Taylor. At the age of two, she and her family moved from the farm into the town of Akron and the house where she lived the rest of her life.
She was a very talented and creative individual. She held a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from the University of South Dakota. Fiber arts and photography were two of her specialties. She operated the Kats Korner shop in Akron where she sold yarn, knitting, cross-stitch and embroidery supplies. She did and taught spinning, natural dying, weaving, knitting, crochet and macramé.
On June 7, 1986, Karen married Don Mortensen. Together, they started and operated Taylor-Mortensen Studios, offering award winning photography services to the community and the surrounding area. Karen was particularly skilled in retouching both with film and digital photography. Karen also did photography for the Akron Register newspaper and later, the Akron Hometowner. After Dons death in 2006, Karen started working fulltime at the Akron Hometowner as a graphic artist, where she won several awards for her advertising designs.
Karen was active in numerous clubs and organizations. She was a member and provided service to a variety of organizations including: Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, The American Cancer Society, the Siouxland Weavers Guild and the Lions Club. Karen and Don were active in Eastern Star and Karen attained the position of Worthy Matron for the state of Iowa.
She was very active with the Akron Community Theater, from its renovation in 1969, served on the board of directors, as well as acting and directing several productions and screen printing many posters. Taylor Draperies, her parents business, donated the red velvet stage curtain for the renovation and later, Karen, singlehandedly, made a new replacement curtain. Karen was also a member of the book committee for the Akron centennial history book, Our Life.
Special memories included traveling to Alaska in 1966 for six weeks with a group in connection with the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church. The group travelled by road and often slept outside on the ground, under the stars. They did maintenance work at a boarding school in Sitka but also visited Fairbanks and Anaktuvak Pass. She enjoyed other travels including to Nova Scotia and sailing with her brother in Florida.
Karen was a devout member of the Plymouth Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder among many other services to the church, including making new stained glass windows.
Survivors include her nephews, Scott Taylor and Doug Taylor; niece, Lisa Farley and many cousins and friends, especially Sandy, the newshound.
Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and Harvey Taylor, her husband, Don Mortensen and her brother, Stanley Taylor.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 23, at Plymouth Presbyterian Church, rural Le Mars. Pastor Neil Peck will officiate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation with the family present will be from 4-7 p.m., Monday, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron. Visitation will resume from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the church. Social distancing and wearing a mask will be required.
Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron.
Memorials can be made in Karens name to the American Cancer Society.
Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.
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