Karen Holst

Funeral services for Karen Holst, 69, of Spirit Lake and formerly of Everly, will be 10:30 am Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Interment will be at Harrison Township Cemetery in rural May City, Iowa. Visitation will begin at 3pm, Tuesday, March 15, 2016, with the family present from 5 - 7 pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Karen Kay Holst was born August 15, 1946 to Earl and Eileen (Hemmig) Schwarting at Hartley Community Hospital in Hartley, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in May City, Iowa. Karen attended kindergarten through 5th grade school at Harrison #2 Country School and then graduated from Hartley Community School in 1964. On July 6, 1965, Karen graduated from Stewarts School of Hairstyling in Sioux City, Iowa. Karen married the love of her life, Gene Holst, on October 9, 1965 at St. John's Lutheran Church in May City. They made their home in Kansas City, Missouri for two years where their son, Kirk, was born. The family then moved to Everly, Iowa where Karen worked as a stylist at Hartley Beauty Salon until she opened and operated her own salon, Karen's Salon, for twenty years. They later moved to Spirit Lake where they built their home on the south shore of Big Spirit Lake. Karen worked at the Beauty Box for five years and then operated her own shop at Wel-Life for fifteen years. Karen was able to do what she loved for fifty years before health reasons caused her to retire in 2015. Karen passed away March 12, 2016 at her home in Spirit Lake at sixty-nine years of age. Left to cherish her memory is her son, Kirk (Kim) Holst of Spencer, Iowa; grandchildren, Dylan, Emma and Chloe; brother, Larry (Geneva) Schwarting of Storden, Minnesota; sister, Beverly (Bob) Heimsoth of Good Year, Arizona; sister-in-law, Mary Ann (Bill) Willemssen of Spirit Lake, Iowa; many relatives and friends. Karen was preceded in death by her husband, Gene, in 2014; parents, Earl and Eileen Schwarting; brothers, Kim, Lynn and Loren; sister, Bonnie; niece, Lori Schwarting; nephew, Bill Willemsen, Jr.; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Rosalie Holst.