Karen Ann Taggart

Karen Ann Taggart, the daughter of Harlan and Catherine (Hofbauer) Smouse, was born October 25, 1944, at the St. Anthony’s Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa and died March 6, 2021, at her home in Des Moines, Iowa at the age 76 years, 4 months, and 12 days.

Karen was baptized at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Carroll as an infant and in 1955 she was confirmed at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. She attended St. Lawrence Catholic School through the 6th grade before transferring to the Viola Center School where she attended 7th and 8th grade. She attended Audubon High School in Audubon graduating with the High School Class of 1962.

On September 4, 1961, she was united in marriage to Stephen K. Taggart in Huntsville, Alabama. They were blessed with 3 daughters: Pam, Lisa and Teresa. Karen was a homemaker while the girls were young and when they started school she was employed at Stanley Manufacturing in Atlantic, Iowa for a few years. She then worked at Stolz Home Furnishing in Audubon as a sales representative for several years. She began employment at the Friendship Home in Audubon in the housekeeping and laundry department later transitioning her job to the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa in housekeeping until she retired in 2007. Stephen died December 5, 2006. Karen was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Audubon where she took an active role in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Women. She was also a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Des Moines. Karen enjoyed going fishing and always looked forward to their annual family fish fry every year. She was an avid reader and enjoyed cooking and tending to her flower and vegetable garden. But most of all she cherished her time with her daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and loved to watch her great grandchildren whenever time would allow her.

Preceding her in death is her husband, Stephen K. Taggart; her daughter, Lisa Lohmeyer; her parents; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Kenneth and Ruth Taggart; her infant sister, Linda Smouse; her brother and sisters: Douglas Smouse, JoAnn Hansen, and Sheila Heater; her beloved K-9 companions, Bayle and Tiny.

Survivors include her daughters, Teresa and Kenny Lilly both of Des Moines, Iowa, and Pam and husband Andrew Picard of Morse, Louisiana; her son-in-law, Randy Lohmeyer of Seguin, Texas; her grandchildren: Felicia and Robert Sengphong both of Altoona, Iowa; Joshua and wife Brianna Lilly of Des Moines, Travis Lohmeyer of Seguin, and Catie and husband B.J. Moerbe of Fayetteville, Texas; her great grandchildren: Jaxson and Eva Lilly, Carter and Kaili Leckwold, Chloe, Vivienne, and Kehlani Sengphong, and Branson and Garrett Moerbe; her brothers, Dennis and wife Mary Smouse, Gary and wife Natalie Smouse all of Exira, Iowa; her brother-in-law, Wendell and wife Kathy Taggart of Milo, Iowa; her beloved K-9 companions, Benny and Bella; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The family will greet friends on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a rosary held at 7:30 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Mass of the Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at 10:30 A.M. at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Audubon with Father David Nkrumah officiating. Interment will be in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Audubon. Casket bearers will be: Felicia Lilly, Joshua Lilly, Travis Lohmeyer, Catie Moerbe, Dennis Smouse, and Wendell Taggart. Junior casket bearers will be: Jaxson Lilly, Eva Lilly, Carter Leckwold, Kaili Leckwold, Chloe Sengphong, Vivienne Sengphong, Kehlani Sengphong, Branson Moerbe, and Garrett Moerbe. Honorary casket bearers will be Gary Smouse, Randy Lohmeyer, Andrew Picard, Kenny Lilly, and Jeffrey Schrader.

Karen’s service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page at KESSLER FUNERAL HOMES INC. To get to our Facebook page, log into your Facebook account (you will need one to view the service), search for and navigate to the KESSLER FUNERAL HOMES INC. Facebook page and at the time the service goes live, it will populate in our timeline. You may also scroll to the bottom of our homepage at www.kesslerfuneralhomes.com page and click the Facebook logo to be taken directly to our page. If you experience difficulties viewing the broadcast at the time of the service, the recording will remain on our Facebook page for additional viewing opportunities.