Karen Marie Odegaard

Karen Marie (Johnson) Odegaard, 88, of Bloomington, Minnesota, died on March 9, 2026. Born on July 22, 1937, in Tracy, Minnesota, to Kenneth and Marie (Prouty) Johnson, Karen grew up in the Tracy area where she was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church. She graduated from Tracy High School in 1955, continued her education at Bethany Lutheran College and Mankato State, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in teaching.

In 1965, Karen began her teaching career in Tacoma, Washington, instructing grades one through eight. She later returned to Minnesota, settling in Bloomington, where she taught for most of her career at Normandale Hills until her retirement in 1993. In 1969, she married Ted Odegaard, gaining three stepchildren whom she embraced as her own.

Family, music, education, and faith remained at the center of Karen’s life. She found deep joy and peace in her relationship with God and shared her considerable musical gifts through piano, organ, hand bells, and a powerful singing voice that rose above all others. An avid traveler, she journeyed across the United States and abroad with her mother and friends, keeping detailed journals of her experiences. She volunteered in schools in China and Spain, teaching English, and at home dedicated herself to teaching reading and English to adults and immigrants. Karen was also an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, serving as president of her local chapter, and volunteered for many years at the local food shelf.

She remained deeply involved in her church, offering her musical talents in worship and continuing her lifelong passion for learning, sharing, and serving others. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Marie Johnson, and her brother, John Johnson. She is survived by her sister, Phyllis (Ken) Nyberg, her sister-in-law, Debby Cocking Johnson, her stepchildren, step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchild, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.