Karen (Mawhinney) Buckley, 74, of Arnold, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 30, in her home. A mother of seven, grandmother of 26, and great-grandmother of 15, Karen leaves behind a large loving family, including her devoted and loving husband of 36 years, Don.
Born in Winner, SD, in August 1949, Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Lou Ann (Olmsted) & Buddy Haley, and Lee & Anne Mawhinney, a daughter, Robin Clay, and her first husband, Dennis Thomas.
She is survived by her husband Don of Arnold – children Donnell Buckley of Lincoln, NE Denise Thomas of Burwell, NE, Lisa (Dave) Geil of Casper, WY, LuRee (Tom) Keefover of Linwood, KS, Keith (Stephanie) Thomas of Queen Creek, AZ, Kory (Julie) Thomas of Kalamazoo, MI, grandchildren – Josh Benne, Tom (Amanda) Clay, Tyler (Alyssa) Clay, Kaylynn Buckley, Brianna (Taylor) Eagan, Jake (Manuela) Benne, Jared Benne, DJ (Miranda) Buckley, Jake (Shayla) Geil, Shelby Johnson, Joe Geil, Lake Reikofski, Randii Reikofski, Drew Thomas, Sage Keefover, Justin Thomas, Zane Keefover, Trey Keefover, Jase Keefover, Greyson Thomas, Hayden Thomas, and 15 amazing great-grandchildren, as well as two sisters – Tami (Mel) Denio and Michelle (Larry) Littau, and two brothers – Clayton (A) Haley and Kevin (Kim) Haley.
Karen and Don have traveled the country, from coast to coast, before settling back into their Midwestern roots in Arnold.
Karen’s love for children was always so evident, and she never missed a grand or great-grandchild’s birthday. And when none of her own grandkids were around, she was known to hand out popsicles and cookies to the neighborhood kids walking down the street because their smiles brought her so much joy.
Services in honor of Karen’s wonderful life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 4th, 2024, at the Arnold Community Center in Arnold, NE where we’ll follow a memorial with a reception with refreshments and conversation. In lieu of flowers, Karen’s family is asking that donations be made in her memory to support the Arnold Public Schools Foundation. Checks can be mailed to Arnold Public Schools at 405 N. Haskell, Arnold, NE, 69120.
Online condolences may be left at govierbrothers.com
