Karen S Patterson

Karen (Breitbach) Patterson, age 20 x 4 = 80, of Prescott, Wisconsin, passed away on August 27, 2026, at River Falls Area Hospital, surrounded by her family.

Karen was born March 22, 1946, in Park Rapids, MN, to Roy and Loraine Breitbach. She grew up and attended grade school near Ponsford, and graduated from Park Rapids High School in 1964. She continued her education at Moorhead State University, earning her degree and beginning a career devoted to teaching.

Karen began her career teaching math at Oltman Junior High before moving to Park High School in Cottage Grove. The impact she made extended far beyond the classroom and long after her retirement. Former students and co-workers continued to stay in touch throughout her life, with many visiting her in the hospital during her final weeks.

Teaching also brought Karen the love of her life, Tom. The two met while at Oltman and shared what they jokingly called a "junior high romance." Karen asked Tom to help her find a pair of skis, which led to their first date skiing at Buck Hill. They married on April 7, 1973, at River View Baptist Church in West St. Paul.

In 1974, Karen and Tom acquired a piece of land in Oak Grove Heights in Prescott, WI and built the home where they would spend their lives together. A few years later, while both were completing their master's degrees in teaching, an assignment asked them to write down their priorities. They each put family at the top of the list and decided it was time to start one of their own. Their daughter Gretchen was born in January 1979, followed 21 months later by Beth in October 1980.

For 53 years, Karen and Tom shared an extraordinary marriage and partnership and never had a fight. Their home was built together, but so was the life within it, a life centered around family, faith, generosity and caring for others.

Karen was a devoted mother, but her instinct to care for people reached far beyond her own daughters. Her home was always open and friends were welcomed as though they were family. Taking care of others was simply how Karen loved. She gave her time, her energy, her attention and herself freely, never asking for anything in return. She had a true servant's heart.

Becoming a grandma brought Karen immeasurable joy. Her grandchildren, Ben, Luke, and Leah, were truly her pride and joy, and being their grandma was one of the greatest gifts of her life. She was their constant supporter and biggest fan, rarely missing a game, event, or important moment. She showed up-not because she had to, but because there was no where she would rather be. She celebrated their accomplishments, took pride in the people they were becoming and made sure each of them always knew just how deeply they were loved.

Her gift for making people feel loved extended well beyond her own family. Over the years, so many others came to know and love her simply as "Grandma Karen"- a name that perfectly reflected the warmth, encouragement and care she so naturally gave to those around her.

Karen was gracious and elegant. She was generous, intelligent, poised, gentle, strong and almost always smiling. She loved her flowers and garden, entertaining and hosting, floating in the pool, traveling with her family and staying up into the wee hours of the night with a glass of wine and talking with the people she loved. She also loved to shop and find a good deal, a pastime she happily continued right up until the end.

At the center of Karen's life was her faith. She didn't simply speak about it; she lived it through the way she treated and cared for others and encouraged those around her in their own walk with God. She treasured the fellowship, learning and relationships she found through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), where she served as a group leader and later helped lead other BSF leaders.

Those who knew Karen will remember the way she could light up a room simply by walking into it. She loved life, and she loved people. She made time for them, showed up for them, cared for them, and made sure they knew they were loved.

Karen leaves behind a legacy that is difficult to capture in words but easy to see in the lives of those who knew her: generosity, warmth, strength and a beautiful smile.

Karen is survived by her husband of 53 years, Tom; daughters, Gretchen (Vince) Coleman of Steamboat Springs, CO, and Beth (Jake) Bystol; grandchildren, Ben, Luke and Leah Bystol of Menomonie, WI; brother, Dan Breitbach of Ponsford, MN; brother and sister in laws, Jerry and LuAnn Miller of Cambridge, MN as well as many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, cousins and many dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Loraine Breitbach; sister-in-law; Cheryl Breitbach; brother-in-law and sister-in-law; David and Linda Patterson.

The Patterson family would also like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the nurses and doctors who cared for Karen and showed her and her family such kindness over the last couple years.

A Funeral Service celebrating Karen's life will be held Friday, September 4 • 11am at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Prescott.  Visitation will be held Thursday, September 3 • 4-7pm at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, as well as 1 hour prior to the service Friday morning.  A Celebration Lunch will be immediately following the funeral at the Old Ptaceks Event Center.

Please click Here to view the Service Livestream.

Memorials are preferred to the Bible Study Fellowship.

Funeral services have been entrusted to the O'Connell Family Funeral Homes. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-262-5404.