Karen Bjornstad

Karen M. Bjornstad, age 66, of rural New London, died Monday, April 14th, at her home following an extended illness.

A memorial service will be held at 2 P.M., Thursday, April 17th, at the First Lutheran Church of Norway Lake with Rev. Wayne Kopitzke officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the church. Arrangements are with the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.

Karen Marie Bjornstad was born on January 3, 1942 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Alfred and Barbara (Drost) Brooten. She grew up in the Twin Cities area, was baptized at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in St. Paul, received first Holy Communion at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in St. Anthony Park and was confirmed at St. Rose of Lima School in Roseville in May of 1955. She continued her education, graduated from Ramsey High School in Roseville, Minnesota in 1959 and majored in German and Education at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1963. On June 15, 1963, she married Carsten Bjornstad and they made their home in Cosmos, Minnesota, where she taught German until 1966. They returned to Minneapolis and in 1967 they moved to southern India as missionaries of the LCMS. Over the next ten years, she taught at the school and helped in "cottage industries." From 1977 to 1985, Karen served as a homemaker in St.Paul, Minnesota, Birch Run, Michigan, and Wausau, Wisconsin. In 1985, God called her and her husband to Papua New Guinea, and for the next eight years she served as a teacher of general studies and English in two seminaries. She and her husband moved to Willmar in 1993. Working out of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Karen led an ESL ministry for several years. Separated from her husband in 2001, she moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to serve as a Director of Christian Outreach in a campus ministry of the LCMS. From 2002 to 2004, she held a similar position in the International Fellowship Center/Calvary Lutheran Chapel in Madison Wisconsin. Remarried to Carsten in June 25, 2005, she moved to New London and became a member of First Lutheran Church of Norway Lake in 2007.

Karen is survived by her husband, Carsten of New London; her children Kristian (and Monica) Bjornstad of Scranton, PA, Harlan (and Jennifer) Bjornstad of Valporaiso, IN, Jacob (and Caryn) Bjornstad of Hutchinson, and Priya (and Robert) Theilen of Spicer and seven grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Gary (and Dotty) Brooten of Weston, FL, Steve (and Luanne) Brooten of Silver City, NM, Tim Brooten of St. Paul, Nancy Adams of Port St. Lucie, FL, and Rochelle (and Roger) of Auburn, NY, besides other relatives and friends.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents.