Karen E. Acker, 60, passed away Wednesday, November 21, 2018 surrounded by the love of her family at Aspirus Wausau Hospital after a long battle with Lymphoma. Karen was born October 17, 1958 to the late Lawrence and Rosemary (Knippel) Pierschalla in Burlington, Vermont. She married Ralph W. Acker on February 4, 1998 in Wausau.
Going to the Northwoods was a passion of hers, spending many weekends at the cabin with Ralph and the Girls. She and Ralph enjoyed early morning trout fishing, exploring fishing spots out on the boat, and finding the best places to pick berries together.
Crocheting was one of her favorite pastimes, learned from her mother, Rosemary. She spent hours creating the perfect afghans for family members, most recently baby blankets for Clara and Amelia.
She loved to garden. It was her “get away from everything” therapy, and even when she was feeling terrible, you’d find her outside in the garden getting her hands dirty and loving every second. She nurtured life in the garden, just as she nurtured her family.
Karen was family to everyone. We joke about the “adopted” kids, her daughters’ friends that became so much more. She expected all their close friends to call her Mom, or Madre.
She didn’t let having cancer define her life, how she lived it. In the last few years she went to many live concerts, visited Niagara Falls, and this past summer travelled to Mt. Rushmore and Deadwood with Ralph and Rosemary.
Survivors include her husband, Ralph; three daughters, Tina (Troy) Radtke, Wausau, Emily (MLE) Schultz, Madison, and Rosemary Acker, Wausau; three granddaughters, Rayanne Teige, Clara and Amelia Radtke; one sister, Barbara Pierschalla, Austin, Texas; and two brothers, Steven (Deb) Pierschalla, Granger, Indiana, and David (Lori) Pierschalla, Wausau, and many extended family members. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Michael.
A Time of Remembrance will be held at 6:00pm on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home 1302 Sixth Street, Wausau. Friends may call from 4pm until the time of remembrance at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family for a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
A special thank you to the staff of Aspirus Cancer Center, most especially to Dr. Hamied Rezazadeh, without whom her journey wouldn’t have been as long.
Online condolences may be expressed at petersonkraemer.com.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Starts at 6:00 pm
Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors