Karen Bumann

Karen Marie Bumann, age 67, died on July 15, 2023, in her home following a long and courageous battle with multiple myeloma, with her husband David and sister Roberta at her side. Karen showed tremendous courage and strength facing multiple relapses with various treatments during her 11 years living with cancer.  She will be missed dearly by her family, friends, and special pets.

Always introspective and realizing that her time on earth might be limited by such an aggressive cancer, once she was diagnosed, Karen redoubled her efforts to figure out why she was placed on this planet we call Earth, and she landed squarely in the lap of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Menomonie. Here she found a second family who gave her the most amazing gifts of spiritual support and unwavering love. Karen became a devoted member of the congregation, teaching Sunday School and participating on several church committees.

Karen was a woman who found deep joy and immense wonder in the natural world. She loved the sound of thunderstorms and rain, the feel of grass on her bare feet, even the smell of cow dung in a pasture, and especially the warmth and scent of a large bonfire on the Bumann Heritage Farm, where she, her sisters, nieces, and nephews would spend hours looking into the night sky, and often lying directly on the highway pavement to get an unobstructed view of the heavens.

Karen was born November 10, 1955, in Ida Grove, IA.  She grew up on a farm in Ida County, Iowa and along with her six sisters helped with daily farm chores, gardening, and walking bean fields in the summers. Karen was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig, IA and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ida County, IA. She attended the Schleswig Public Schools in Schleswig, IA. In high school she participated in music and several sports including softball, track, and powder puff football.  Karen took piano lessons at a young age and sang in several high school choral groups.  One high school highlight was when she qualified for the state track meet in Des Moines her senior year. After graduating from Schleswig High, Karen attended Wayne State and Iowa State University where she completed a bachelor’s degree in agronomy. At the time, she was one of only a few women in the ISU agronomy program, and after graduating she worked for a number of years with USDA’s Soil Conservation Service in western Iowa, Decorah, Iowa, and in Marinette, Wisconsin. As a younger female “government worker” Karen would often say she found it challenging and interesting to work with older male farmers.

In 1980 Karen married David Schmidt and the couple made their home on various acreages in Iowa and Wisconsin. They made a point of exploring different cultures of the world, taking trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The couple also enjoyed camping and hiking and traveled to the Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park, Alaska, and other U.S. parks. Karen took many solo camping trips with her dog Lucy, and enjoyed traveling with her sisters to California, South Dakota, Yosemite, and frequently to the family farm in Iowa.

In 1996 Karen and David bought a conventional farm in the Menomonie, Wisconsin area and converted it to an organic dairy and poultry operation, adding organic vegetable gardening in later years. They called it Sweetland Farm. With her Iowa family farm heritage, Karen was a 5 ^th generation farmer. She embraced organic and sustainable farming practices and took great pride in offering high quality organic eggs, chickens, heritage breed turkeys, and organic produce.  She and David participated in the St Paul Farmers’ Market for over 10 years and had a very loyal customer following for the ’best free-range organic chickens and eggs.”  Some customers even drove from the Twin Cities to their farm to buy eggs, chickens, and dairy products.

Karen was very sociable and enjoyed meeting and talking with people. She liked playing cards, puzzles, and board games with family, nieces, and nephews. During summer months, those nieces and nephews often spent time on Karen and David’s farm, helping with chores or at Farmers’ Market events, and no one got to sleep in!!

An avid reader, Karen belonged to several book clubs. She enjoyed reading philosophy, inspirational nonfiction, biographies, and historical fiction. She volunteered at the Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Menomonie and enjoyed walking on the trail with her beloved dog Lucy. She also volunteered at Stepping Stones of Dunn County, a food pantry and homeless shelter support service agency in Menomonie.

Karen and David retired from farming around 2010, but they continued to raise chickens and ducks and managed a large garden, where Karen grew a variety of heritage tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, garlic, onions, spinach, kale, and many herbs. She shared the bounty of her harvest with many friends and relatives, and often gave away cherished gifts of homemade jellies and jams.

Karen was a kind, generous soul who empathized deeply with those who didn’t fit in or felt different. She deeply desired a world in which everyone felt loved, where working hard was expected, and where tolerance, kindness, compassion, and fairness were the norm.

Karen is survived by her husband, David and six sisters, Ronda Bumann Stingley (Tony) Orlando, FL; Roberta Bumann Winona, MN; Mary Bumann Cedar Rapids, IA; Irene Bumann Lyon (Kent) Indianola, IA; Lisa Davis (Greg) Onawa, IA; Margaret Bumann (Jim Callaghan) Omaha, NE; and many nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Brother-in-law Dan Schmidt and wife Kathy Beloit, WI.

Preceded in death by her parents Earl and Maxine Bumann; stepmother Shirley Bumann; step- brother Michael Bumann; Brothers in law, Douglas Boyer and David Anderson.

A Celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ at 420 Wilson Ave. Menomonie, WI 54751. A Visitation will be held one hour prior to the Service from 1:00p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pastor Kathleen Remund will officiate.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family. Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.