Karen Taylor-Mortensen, 73, of Akron, Iowa, passed away Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at Plymouth Presbyterian Church, rural Le Mars, Iowa.  Pastor Neil Peck will officiate.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.  Visitation with the family present will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron.    Visitation will resume from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the church.  Social distancing and wearing a mask will be required.  Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron.  Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com .

Memorial's can be made in Karen's name to the American Cancer Society.

Karen was born February 26, 1948 in Akron to Harvey and Anna Taylor.  At the age of two, she and her family moved from the farm into the town of Akron and the house where she lived the rest of her life.

She was a very talented and creative individual.  She held a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from the University of South Dakota.  Fiber arts and photography were two of her specialties.  She operated the Kat's Korner shop in Akron where she sold yarns, knitting, cross-stitch and embroidery supplies but also she did and taught spinning, natural dying, weaving, knitting, crochet and macramé.

On June 7, 1986, Karen married Don Mortensen.  Together, they started and operated Taylor-Mortensen Studios, offering award winning photography services to the community and the surrounding area.  Karen was particularly skilled in retouching both with film and digital photography.  Karen also did photography for the Akron Register newspaper and later, the Akron Hometowner.  After Don's death in2006, Karen started working full time at the Akron Hometowner as a graphic artist where she won several awards for her advertising designs.

Karen was active in numerous clubs and organizations.  She was a member and provided service to a variety of organizations including: Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, The American Cancer Society, the Siouxland Weavers Guild and the Lion's Club.  Karen and Don were active in Eastern Star and Karen attained the position of Worthy Matron for the state of Iowa.  She was very active with the Akron Community Theater, from its renovation in 1969, served on the board of directors, as well as acting and directing several productions and screen printing many posters.  Taylor Draperies, her parents business, donated the red velvet stage curtain for the renovation and later, Karen, singlehandedly, made a new replacement curtain.  Karen was also a member of the book committee for the Akron centennial history book, "Our Life".

Special memories included travelling to Alaska in 1966 for 6 weeks with a group in connection with the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church. The group travelled by road and often slept outside on the ground, under the stars.   They did maintenance work at a boarding school in Sitka but also visited Fairbanks and Anaktuvak Pass. She enjoyed other travels including to Nova Scotia and sailing with her brother in Florida.

Karen was a devout member of the Plymouth Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder among many other services to the church, including making new stained glass windows.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and Harvey Taylor, her husband Don Mortensen and her brother Stanley Taylor.  Survivors include her nephews, Scott Taylor and Doug Taylor, niece Lisa Farley and many cousins and friends, especially Sandy, the newshound.

The family would like to share a recipe that to us will always be associated with our Auntie Karen.  These cookies will never be equaled, and neither will she.:

Lemon Iced Cookies :

1 c. shortening

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. Soda

1 tsp. Baking powder

1 c. Buttermilk

Juice of 1 orange

Grated rind of 1 orange

Cream shortening and sugar, then add eggs. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry mixture and buttermilk. Mix. Add orange juice and rind. Mix everything together. Chill before baking. Drop on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 mins. Ice while hot.

Icing

Juice and rind of 1 lemon

Powdered sugar

Mix lemon with enough powdered sugar to make the right consistency. Mix with a mixer until smooth.