Karen Louise Wagner, age 61, of Lebanon, went to be the Lord on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family. Karen was the wife of Stephen S. Wagner, with whom she would have celebrated 38 years of marriage on May 30.
Born in Lebanon on February 17, 1958, Karen was the daughter of the late Earl and Joan (Meyer) Rittle. Karen graduated from Cedar Crest High School in 1976. She graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1980 with a double major in Elementary Education and Psychology, and in 1985, graduated with a Masters in Education from Millersville University.
Karen was an elementary teacher in the ELCO School District and retired in 2017 after 35 years of teaching. She was a first grade teacher, a gifted facilitator, and a reading teacher. She loved all her students and wanted to instill the love for reading and learning in each one of them.
In 2010 Karen was awarded ELCO’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and the Lebanon County Educational Honor Society, where she served as the district representative for 15 years. When Karen was young she was very involved as a 4-Her, which led her to becoming a 4-H leader for over 30 years.
She also helped at the Lebanon Area Fair each year in the Home Economics Department. Karen was a member of the Myerstown United Church of Christ, where she had served on church council, was treasurer of the adult Sunday school class, and was a Communion assistant. She loved listening to her daughters play classical and sacred music on their violins and piano, attending all their school and college concerts, church services, and other community concerts when they performed.
Karen’s greatest enjoyment in life was spending time with her friends and family, especially her grandson. Vacations traveling to Disney World and sightseeing in other countries around the world always included her family. Karen is survived by her loving husband, Stephen, and two daughters Jennifer Blystone, wife of David of Lebanon, and Sarah Wagner of Lititz, sister Ruth Ann Arnold, wife of Elijah (Joe) Arnold of Lebanon, brother David E. Rittle, husband of Kimberly of Lebanon, many nieces and nephews, and one adorable grandson, Noah.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 11 at Myerstown United Church of Christ, 306 W. Main Avenue, Myerstown, PA 17067, with a visitation from 9:00am until time of service. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, or Myerstown UCC.
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