Obituaries : Karen Halva

Karen Halva, 78, of West Union, Iowa died Friday, January 26, 2024, at Gunderson Palmer Hospital in West Union, Iowa. She was born October 28, 1945, to Wayne and Jeanne (Kephart) Gulick.

Karen graduated from Vinton High School in 1963 and went on to earn her BA in education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1967. On June 8, 1968, Karen was united in marriage with Gary Halva in Vinton, Iowa. They celebrated fifty-three years together before Gary passed in 2021.

Karen was also preceded in death by two children, son Tracy Halva in 1990 and daughter Kerry Halva in 2010; her parents Wayne and Jeanne Gulick; and her father-in-law and mother-in-law Rudy and Dortha Halva.

Karen worked as secretary for the West Union United Methodist Church for 38 years, retiring in 2018. She was very active in the church and participated in many programs and ladies' circles. Karen loved traveling to Arizona to see her daughter Jessica and enjoy the beautiful desert landscape.

She was very thankful to be able to travel with her grandchildren on many of these trips and enjoyed spending time with them. Most of all, Karen loved her dog Shadow. He was a great companion for her and certainly kept her on her toes. Shadow will now be living with Karen's granddaughter Carrie and he is already very happy in his new home.

Karen is survived by her daughter, Jessica Salvo of Scottsdale, AZ; four grandchildren, Danny Halva (Coltn Benson) of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Tracy Halva of West Union, Iowa, Savannah Halva of Ames, Iowa, and Caroline Halva of Elgin, Iowa; son-in-law, Mathew Krull of West Union, Iowa; sister Kathy (Carlton) Root of Clermont, Florida; sister-in-law Thera Colvin of Lodi, California; and several nieces and nephews.

Services and inurnment will be held at a later date. Burnham-Wood-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service are assisting the family.