Karen Lee (Ostenberg) Ragland

Karen Lee Ragland, age 76, loving mother of two, Nana to eight and wife to husband and love of her life, passed away June 24th, 2023.  Karen was born January 23rd, 1947 and grew up in the Kansas City area attending Shawnee Mission North High School where she met the love of her life, David “Kim” Ragland. In January 1966, practically still kids they married.  They together raised two daughters, Brooke and Alison.  Karen stayed at home raising her daughters and always said it was the “greatest job she ever had and all she really ever wanted to do.”  She had a 20 year career when the girls were older at Sprint/North Supply before retiring to really dive in to all the things she enjoyed:  She was a Master Gardner and loved planning and taking care of her many gardens in their various homes.  Their 30+ acres in Linwood was the most beloved place they lived, as she loved the country lifestyle.

Karen loved entertaining and cooking for others and was especially famous in her family for her homemade chicken and noodles and if you ask the grandchildren, also her pancakes! She was an active PEO sister and enjoyed being a part of several different chapters.  She and Kim traveled together for many years in their various RVs and also with their wonderful friends to Europe, Hawaii, Alaska and her beloved state of Colorado.  (She so loved the mountains!)  She crocheted quite extensively and a large supply of baby blankets awaits each great grandchild to come.  Karen was an animal lover and she always said she “would never, could never, live without a dog.”

Karen is predeceased by her parents Melvin and Marjorie Ostenberg and her brother, Terry Ostenberg.  She is survived by her husband, Kim, their two daughters Brooke Baxter and Alison Brown and her 8 grandchildren: Nick Duncan, Whitney Duncan, Sophie Duncan, Gracie Brown, Stella Brown, Bailey Baxter, Kate Baxter and Graham Baxter.

Services will be held Saturday, July 8 at 1:30 at Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, The Alzheimer’s Association or Kansas Palliative and Hospice Care. For those unable to attend CLICK HERE