Karen Lee (Ellerbusch) Fetty

Karen L. Fetty, age 70, of Palmyra, PA, formerly of Holstein passed away on Monday, January 31, 2022 at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of Hershey, PA.  A funeral service will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 3:00 PM at the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church of Holstein with the Pastor Bob Lewis officiating. Burial was held at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein.  There will be no visitation.  A light supper will be served immediately after the service. In honor of Karen’s passion for horses and love for her grandchildren, pony rides from the Meyer Petting Zoo will be available, weather permitting, and children’s activities will be available! Please bring children in play attire or bring an extra change of clothes if they dress up! 

Karen passed away on Monday, January 31, 2022 at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of Hershey, PA.

Karen Lee Fetty Ellerbusch, originally from Holstein, Iowa, aged 70, went home to be with the Lord on January 31st of the longest year, 2022. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren and the love of friends and family near and far. Karen was an evangelist, artist and romantic. Throughout her life she delighted in God’s Creation and did her best to lend God a willing hand. She raised flowers, goats, children and more than one crop of enormous pumpkins. She loved birds and animals, in particular horses, dogs and geese, with the minor exceptions of mice, and ironically, cats. Karen had numerous hobbies; she was a voracious reader and filled sketchbooks with her poetry, songs and drawings. She was a passionate horsewoman and loved anyone on or standing next to a horse. She had a striking voice that was recorded in Nashville and cell phones at various karaoke locations. Karen was unpredictable politically, but shared her convictions and recommendations boldly with anyone regardless of party, perspective or personal relationship. Most importantly to her, she was a faithful Christian and felt called to bring the good news to anyone who would accept her lovingly hand crafted tracts or a good word. Whether shared at bars on St. Patrick’s Day in Morgantown, West Virginia, at rodeos,  cowboy gatherings and motor cycle rallies with her covered wagon ministry across the American West, or on the phone at Oral Roberts’ Ministries, each moment she spent in service to her faith was filled with prayer, her warmth, laughter and conviction that anyone could share her deeply personal relationship with Jesus.

Karen was known to believe her children were the best ones. She is survived by her beautiful daughters: Rachel, Joan, Ola and Talitha, her handsome sons: Robert and Lazarus, and their partners: genius Corey, loving Cindy, talented Aiden and wonderful Ahmed. Most favored of all was her spectacular assortment of grandchildren: Uhuru, Genesis, Ruby, Axel, Elijah, Noor, Aleah, Adnan and bonus grandkids, Corey Sam and Aiden. She is also survived by her sisters: Rhonda and Kristen, her Aunt Gloria Ellerbusch and many beloved cousins. She greets the following loved ones in heaven: her parents, Fred and Ruby Ellerbusch, her brothers: Steve and Craig Ellerbusch, her uncles: Les and Ray Ellerbusch and her beloved Aunt Vilois Ellerbusch.

Karen was a survivor of some of life’s most painful experiences: grief, domestic violence, economic hardship, accidents and illness. She survived everything with grace, grit and the love of God, but she could not survive COVID-19. Almost everyone in her family begs you to be vaccinated with all the love they wish they could share again with this truly remarkable and deeply loved woman of God.

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