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Karna Helen Brinkman

1931 - 2007

 

Karna H. Brinkman
(January 3, 1931 - November 1, 2007)

Garner – Karna H. Brinkman, 76, of Garner died Thursday (November 1, 2007) at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa in Mason City. Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Saturday at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner with Rev. David Graham and Rev. Tim Diehl officiating. Burial will be in Ell Township Cemetery in Klemme. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Friday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner with a VFW Auxiliary service at 7 P.M. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the Karna Brinkman Memorial Fund.

Karna Helen Brinkman, the daughter of Herman and Effie (Olson) Tulp, was born January 3, 1931 at Leal, ND. At an early age she moved with her family to Rowan, Iowa. Karna graduated from Rowan High School in 1948 and continued her education at Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls where she received her teaching certificate. She later took summer classes at various colleges to earn her teaching degree in 1974. Karna taught at Klemme for four years where she met her future husband, Garland. On June 18, 1950 they were married at her parents’ farm near Rowan. They made their home in Klemme. Karna then took some time off from teaching to raise her family.

 

In 1961 they moved to Garner and Karna resumed her teaching career as an elementary teacher in the Garner-Hayfield school district until her retirement in 1992. She enjoyed playing board games with her grandchildren, reading, golfing, watching sports and soap operas on TV, talking on the phone, wintering in McAllen, TX, and traveling to see her family. She was a member of Zion
Evangelical and Reformed Church, Women’s Fellowship and taught Sunday school and Bible school. Karna also was a member of the Garner VFW Auxiliary, Homemakers Club and was a past Girl Scout Leader.

Karna is survived by her husband, Garland, of Garner; two daughters, Valerie Brinkman-Kaplan and husband, Dr. Gordon Kaplan, of Ft. Worth, TX and Laurel Garvin of Mankato, MN; six grandchildren, Ryan Niemi, Erin Niemi and husband, Dan White, and their son, Braydon, Brendan Niemi and his son, Dylan, Miranda Kaplan, Weston Garvin and Taylor Garvin; and a brother, Howard Tulp and wife, Esther, of Goodell; nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Brian Garvin in 1998; and her sister, Carole Barrick and husband, Harry.

source: Copyright © Cataldo Funeral Home, 760 Center Avenue, Garner, Iowa 50438, Phone 641-923-2841; [http://www.cataldofuneralhome.com

 

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