Karen S. Cirimotich

Karen Sue Cirimotich, 67, of Galesburg, died peacefully Monday, November 30, 2020 at Knox County Nursing Home with family by her side. Affectionately known as “Momma Karen” by those who loved and cared for her, she finally won a hard-fought five-year battle with dementia.  Karen was born April 3, 1953 in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Ralph and Phyllis (Brandt) Clouse. She graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Denver, CO, and attended Colorado State University for one year, where she met her future husband, Roger A. Cirimotich, at Horsetooth Reservoir in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Karen and Roger were married on May 12, 1973 in Littleton, CO .  Karen and Roger’s marriage brought one daughter, Jennifer (Shad) Steck of Galesburg, and one son, Christopher (Shana) Cirimotich of Dublin, OH; and four grandchildren, Tyler and Easton Steck of Galesburg and Jaxon and Paighton Cirimotich of Dublin, OH. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Shari Hill.  Karen was a homemaker while Jennifer and Christopher were growing up and then was a librarian in the children’s room at the Galesburg Public Library for 17 years, retiring in 2011. She was also a member of the Friends of the Library and tended the library gardens during her work there. Karen lived with a true servant’s heart, volunteering her time for various community organizations. She was a member and leader in the First Presbyterian Church of Galesburg, including a long-standing member of the church choir and supporting the church library. Karen also contributed to various performance groups, including Choral Dynamics, Prairie Players, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, and the Carl Sandburg Children’s Choir.  Karen was a proud wife, mother, and grandmother who made sure to give her time to all her family. Time with the grandchildren was particularly important to her, watching them play outside and compete in sports, passing on her love for books, and sharing her devotion to community service through activities such as the Safe Harbor Angel Tree. She loved spending time with her book club friends, talking about the books read but focusing on brags about the kids and grandkids. Karen also had a passion for gardening and was an excellent pianist. Especially after retirement, she loved to spend time with her adoring husband of 47 years taking golf cart rides to appreciate the sunset and spending hours on the beach at Pawleys Island, SC looking for shells.  Cremation will be accorded, and, to respect Karen’s wishes, private family celebrations will be held. Arrangements have been entrusted to Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, Galesburg.  Memorials may be made to the Galesburg Public Library Foundation, Safe Harbor Family Crisis Center, the Brain Support Network, PO Box 7264 Menlo Park CA 94026-7264, the Alzheimer’s Association, or a charity of the donor’s choice.