Karen Ann (Keller) Handel of Sioux Falls died peacefully at age 85 on Sept. 25, 2026, surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with cancer.
A celebration of life will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at Heritage Funeral Home, with visitation starting one hour prior at 10 a.m. All are welcome to stay for lunch after the service.
Karen was born on June 1, 1941, in Menno to Ben and Ida Keller. She graduated from Menno High School and completed one year of a home economics degree at South Dakota State College. She married Art Handel Jr. of Scotland in 1960. They later divorced. Karen was blessed with three daughters: Brenda, Thea and Lisa. She raised her family in Scotland and supported her daughters’ interests in school activities, 4-H and Junior Hereford Association. Karen poured her heart and soul into encouraging her daughters to pursue their dreams. She was proud of their education and careers and always showed up to support their pursuits. Her daughters remember her always being there for them.
Even as a teenager, Karen was a traveler. She took early trips to Chicago and New York. She helped plan family trips to cattle-showing destinations, including Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin and Michigan. Later, she enjoyed memorable trips to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Grand Canyon. She was an adventurous spirit, willing to try new things and explore. This zest for travel inspired the final phase of her career with AAA Travel Agency as a customer service counselor, arranging adventures for others and generally doing whatever needed to be done.
Karen was a prolific saleswoman. Employing her savvy intelligence and care for customers, she sold everything from advertising for cattle sales to fabric, cosmetics, insurance, jewelry and memberships. She owned her own fabric store, Karen’s Fabric House, in Menno and shared her love of sewing with many students over the years. She was frequently recognized for her work as a Mary Kay consultant, including working her way from consultant to director. She generously shared her knowledge of style and encouraged everyone to feel good and confident about themselves. She was promoted from part-time sales assistant to manager of Riddle’s Jewelry. She was a beloved colleague and made lifelong friends at many of her places of employment.
Karen sang with the Community Choir of Scotland and the Balladeers, a choral group that traveled the area and presented concerts in various communities. She was drum majorette and clarinetist in her high school band. She was a life-long 4-H member, serving the community as club leader. She achieved the state-recognized award of “Advisor of the Year” in the early 1970s. Her love of sewing developed from fabric store ownership and sewing her own clothes into becoming a quilt-maker, creating a custom quilt for each member of her family.
She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Handel-Johnson (Andrew Johnson), Thea (Handel) Dalvand (Mehdi Dalvand) and Lisa Handel-Dalvand(IZ Dalvand); grandchildren, Annaeka Johnson (Karen Mari), Sebastian Dalvand and Colin Dalvand; good friend, Rae-Gene Larson; cousin, Donna Zeeb; nephews, John Russel (Sue Russel) and Craig Haase (Tammy Haase); nieces, Kay MacClure and Susan Sedlacek (George Sedlacek). She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Ida and Ben Keller; sister, Lorraine Haase; nieces, Joan Russell and Nola Haase; nephews, Kelly and Kevin Haase; and sister-in-law and friend, Arleen Russell.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society in memory of Karen.
Celebrate a life with the whole community in The Dakota Scout. Contact [email protected] to have your loved one remembered today.
