Karen Sue Rakness

Karen Sue Rakness, resident of Saratoga, Wyoming, passed away early on the morning of August 18, 2022 at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, Wyoming at the age of 59 years old.

She was born in Boulder, CO and was one of nine children to Gene and Margaret Perdue.

She moved to Encampment, WY with her family in 1967 when Karen was about 4 years old, where she would grow up and make quite the memories in this quiet little Wyoming town she called home.

During her years growing up in Encampment, you could find Karen and her friends or siblings running around town, hanging out at the Sugar Bowl, getting chocolate marshmallow sundaes, maybe sampling crab apples or other produce from neighbors’ yards or being a dare devil. She was always up for trying something new. You could find her riding motorcycles, learning how to swim (or sink) with her brothers and sisters. Karen always had a lot of friends and was well liked by those around her.

Karen grew up with eight siblings. Three of them were sisters. They all shared a room with each other. One of her good childhood friends recalls Karen resorting to putting a padlock on her closet to keep her sisters from wearing her clothes. Karen’s sisters also remember laying in bed listening to the radio and recording songs as they heard them.

Karen was an active member of the 4H club and FFA while growing up. As she got older, Karen could be found with her friends cruising back and forth from Encampment to Riverside a hundred times a night. They would get gas at Duane Cruise’s dollar gas machine (you ACTUALLY put dollars in one at a time). Changing flat tires in the old car they woulld cruise around in was another activity. You might, quite possibly, find Karen purchasing her older siblings alcohol, since she looked older than them. She was always up for a challenge. 

During Karen’s time at Encampment high school, she was very active. She was part of three different state championships teams including volleyball, basketball, and track. Karen was quite an athlete who was competitive, determined, aggressive and never gave up! She was also a cheerleader when she wasn’t playing sports and was crowned as homecoming queen her senior year.

Karen met her sweetheart, Ken Rakness, her junior year of high school. He was from the rival school, Platte Valley High School in Saratoga. Karen thought Ken was cocky on and off the courts and fields she saw him play on. She couldn’t resist his charm after she got to know him. The two were inseparable from then on.

Ken and Karen got married on July 25, 1981 in Encampment, WY. They lived and worked on the ranch with Ken’s family in Elk Mountain for 3 years before moving to a ranch west of Craig, Colorado. There they started their business, EarthBusters, and made lifelong friends during their time in the Craig area.

The couple started their family with the birth of their oldest daughter, Olivia, in 1986. Christine, their youngest daughter, followed two years later in 1988.

In 1989, they moved to Salida, Colorado, where they managed a farm with 13 pivots. They also continued working their business.

In 1991, Ken and Karen moved to Saratoga, Wyoming. Where they raised their daughters and continued to operate Earthbusters. They also started a video store which was very popular at that time. Karen really demonstrated her great organization and business skills there. 

In 2011, Karen and Ken moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. They went back and forth between Colorado and Wyoming until 2020. They decided to move back to Saratoga, Wyoming full time to be close to both their daughters. 

Karen absolutely loved being a mom and wife, there was no question about that,.She also loved God and Jesus with all her heart. Karen loved all of her cats and their family dogs, really all animals. She was very tender hearted.

Karen loved spending time with family and friends.

She had the best smile and laugh.

She enjoyed being outside walking their family dogs, running, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, hiking, biking, jumping on the trampoline, playing basketball with her kids and husband in their driveway, snowmobiling, water skiing, boating, fishing, vacationing with her family and anything else that kept her outside and active.

Karen was an active member of the Xi Beta Epsilon Sorority in Saratoga for multiple years.

She was also the assistant SHS volleyball coach for a few years, an AAU volleyball coach and an inspiration to many in all that she did.

She was also incredibly talented in many other areas such as flower gardening, landscaping, crafting, decorating, tiling and painting. You name it, Karen was willing and determined to figure it out and make it look beautiful! 

Karen was a fighter until the very end, especially knowing that her first and only grandchild’s due date was just around the corner at the end of August.

Unfortunately, the terribly ugly and silent killer, ovarian cancer, won the battle. However, it didn’t win the war. Karen is now free of pain and suffering. She is going to be with Jesus and we couldn’t be more thankful for that.

Karen leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts and lives.

She also leaves behind a legacy of fierce love and generosity, not only for her family and friends, but strangers a like.

Karen leaves behind a slew of cats that we affectionately call the cat farm. She sure did love her cats and treated all of her pets like royalty.

Karen would go overboard helping anyone and everyone. She was always there for her family when they needed her. Karen would fiercely defend her family and friends. She was very forgiving, honest, truth seeking, brave, and never was afraid to tell the truth.

Karen will be sadly missed and cherished by her husband Ken Rakness of Saratoga, daughters Olivia (Will) Redmond of Elk Mountain, Christine (Aron) Anderson of Saratoga and her soon-to-be-born grandchild, baby boy Anderson; Siblings Cheryl Perdue of Denver, Colorado, Barbara (Pecos) Craig of Wright, Wyoming, Shelly (Jeff) Larson of Thermopolis, Wyoming; Darwin, Mike, and Mark Perdue of Encampment, Wyoming and Chrystopher (Beth) Perdue of Whitehall, Montana. She will also be missed by her in-laws, brother in-laws, sister in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and her fur babies.

Karen was preceded in death by her father Gene Perdue, her mother Margaret Perdue-Wild, and her brother Daryl Perdue.  

The gravesite services for the family and close friends of Karen Rakness were held 1 p.m. Wednesday, August 24th at the Perdue family burial site on Blackhall Rd.

The celebration of life after party followed for all of those who knew and loved Karen, at the Spirit West River Lodge in Riverside, Wyoming. Food was provided to honor Karen’s memory, as she loved these simple pleasures in life.

Jacoby Funeral Home assisted Ken, Olivia, Christine, other family members, and friends with the arrangements. Tributes and condolences may be offered online at http://www.jacobycares.com.

 

Reader Comments(0)