Obituary of Karen Alms

Obituary Karen Diane Alms died peacefully at her home in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Saturday, June 25th, surrounded by family. Karen is survived by: her spouse, Roger Alms; her older brother, Reverend Dennis Mason; her biological children, Cynthia Page (Johnson), Shane Johnson, Ryan Johnson; her step-children, Brad Alms, Aaron Alms, Andrea Alms; numerous grandchildren. Karen was born in Denver, Colorado, on November 11th, 1944, to the late Jim Mason and Kathy Murray. She was the second of two children, and she graduated from Denver’s North High School, in 1961. She met her first husband, Hollis Johnson, while attending classes at Colorado State University. They had three children, and while they were young Karen was a stay-at-home Mom. Once her children were in school, she went back to school herself, enrolling in the Nursing Program at Northeastern Junior College (NJC), in Sterling, Colorado. She soon earned her Associate’s degree, and found a job as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). While she worked full-time, she continued to take classes and eventually earned her Bachelor’s degree, and full-qualification as a Registered Nurse, (RN). Remarkably, she found a way to be a: working mother, top student, dedicated wife, full-time employee, devout christian, and girl scout leader, all at the same time. Karen cared deeply for others, and she was motivated by God’s love. She had a sense of duty and worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of her patients. She contributed many years of service, and she radiated immeasurable amounts of positivity over the course of her career. Karen’s first marriage ended while she was in her thirties. She then went through an important period of healing and personal growth, which prepared her to connect with “the love of her life”, Roger Alms. Roger and Karen met by chance, while country-western dancing at the Sundance Steakhouse & Saloon, in Fort Collins, Colorado. They married soon after, and for more than 30 years they enjoyed life together, with their blended family. Karen was proud to be an American and proud to be a descendant of Colorado Pioneers. She enjoyed a lifetime of camping, hiking and exploring the Rocky Mountains, ultimately passing on her patriotism, and love for Colorado to all of her children and grandchildren. She was known for having: a big heart, a warm smile, a joyful laugh, a positive attitude, and a strong Christian faith. She was talented with a rifle, and highly accurate with her long bow, using arrows she would make by hand. Always loyal, and willing to represent for what she cared about, you could get a good indication of who Karen was simply by reading her bumper stickers. She loved: Jesus, Her Family, Nursing, The United States of America, The State of Colorado, The Marine Corps, The Denver Broncos, and the National Rifle Association. In her later years, she continued to enjoy spending time with family & friends, watching western movies, attending church & bible study, solving 1,000 piece puzzles, target shooting at the range in Weld County, and taking painting classes with her dear friends from the Sunflower community. Karen was 77 years old. A memorial service will be held: Monday, July 11th, 11:00 am, Faith Church, 3920 S. Shields St, Ft. Collins, Colorado 80526 (www.faithchurchfortcollins.org/) Denver Bronco attire and/or colors are encouraged. Or, simply come as you are. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in Karen’s name, to one of her favorite non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministries: Camp, Idrahaje. (web address: www.idrahaje.org/, phone: 303.838.5668, email: info@idrahaje.org, mailing address: IdRaHaJe, P.O. Box 360, Bailey CO, 80421) Services Memorial Service Monday July 11, 2022 11:00 AM Faith Church (Fort Collins) 3920 S. Shields Fort Collins, CO 80526