Karen Ebba Mueller

Kären Ebba (Urness) Mueller was of Norwegian descent, ever proud of her Sundstrom farming family roots. She was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on May 3, 1939. Kären, lovingly known for being a quiet child, used to climb trees to sit peacefully and read her favorite books. She graduated from Eau Claire Senior High School. While there, she enjoyed French class with her best friend, Marie. True to her character, Kären never boasted that her mastery of the French language earned her the opportunity to enroll at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire while still a junior in high school.

Although solitary by nature, Kären was also quietly courageous and bold, moving by herself at 19 years of age to the West Coast. She sought to experience the golden age of the San Fernando Valley, California in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was during that time she met and married James Grove and started a family. Kären also began working for State Farm Insurance agencies and continued through the years. Kären continued to enjoy adventures, too. Shortly after the birth of her son, Paul, in 1964, she chaperoned her 11-year-old cousin, Patti, to the Beatles American Invasion at The Hollywood Bowl. During these years, Kären also enjoyed a number of experiences in Mexico and the Nevada desert — traveling to see the bullfights in Tijuana and Elvis Presley in Las Vegas.

Kären, daughter Karla, and son Paul moved back to Wisconsin to be near her mother and father, Ebba and Arthur Urness. Not long after meeting best friend Marie’s brother-in-law, Larry Mueller, Larry and Karen married in 1974. Kären’s adventurous spirit helped her thrive as a Navy wife. She and Larry moved their blended family of Karla, Paul and Larry’s daughter, Dawn, to James Island near Charleston, South Carolina where Larry was stationed. A few years later, Kären welcomed the opportunity to experience life overseas on Guam in the Western Pacific. While there she went on boonie stomps, learned to square dance, and was active in the church. Kären continued to exhibit her independence and strength as well by earning a brown belt in the martial art of Aikido. Kären recently told a story about the awe she felt every time she flipped the Marines and sailors she competed against.

Kären settled with Larry at his last duty station in Pensacola, Florida where they built a Church life at Charity Chapel. She continued her career as a secretary for State Farm Insurance. After her retirement, she served as Charity Chapel’s Finance Secretary working with Reverend Michael Collins and Brother Jerry Ireland for many years. Kären formed lasting friendships with the women in the “Ladies Let’s Gather” group.

Kären was determined to live near her grandsons in the winter season of her life and chose an assisted living home near them on Davis Islands in Tampa, Florida. She enjoyed every moment of the grandsons’ visits as they told her stories or asked her questions.

Although Kären had a very gentle nature, at the same time she had an infectious, quick, and dry wit. She retorted recently to her daughter-in-law, Michelle, “…how original,” when hearing of someone choosing to name their pet pig Miss Piggy!

Kären profoundly impacted everyone she met. As one of her caregivers, Yaileen, shared, she had “never met a better person in her life.” Kären was genuinely adored by her friends and family. She never forgot her ancestry and often talked about how much her Sundstrom and Camplin families meant to her.

Kären filled her free time with quiet pursuits: stitching counted cross-stitch, completing jigsaw puzzles, sewing, listening to music, and spoiling her cats. She was passionate about reading and chocolate. Anyone that knew Kären would be hard pressed to remember a time when she did not have a book and a piece of chocolate with her!

Kären passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 22, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Larry; daughter, Karla Grove; parents, Arthur and Ebba (Sundstrom) Urness; and father, Roy Camplin. She is survived by her son, Paul Grove (Michelle) and grandsons, Daniel, Riley, Michael, and Cooper Grove; step-daughter, Dawn Bishop (Brian); and loving family friends, Nicole Drews and Tenisha Boyde. Also surviving Kären are her brothers-in-law, Donald and David (Marie) Mueller; sister-in-law, Kathy Mueller; and many cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to WEDU PBS Attn: Claire O’Connor 1300 North Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607. Please note on the check the contribution is “In Memory of Karen Mueller.” Everyone who knew Kären knows how much she loved Paul’s TV station and the many Josh Groban specials that filled her life in her later years.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at Charity Chapel Church 5820 Montgomery Ave, Pensacola, Florida on June 4, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. It will be followed by a fellowship in the Charity Fellowship Hall. Kären will be interred with Larry at Forest Hill Cemetery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in July.