Karen N. Markstrom

Funeral services for Karen Markstrom of Roseau, MN will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 2:00 pm at the Roseau Evangelical Covenant Church in Roseau.  Visitation will be on Friday from 5-7 PM with a 7:00 Prayer Service at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau.  Interment will be at the Oak Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

Karen Noreen Markstrom was received into the loving arms of her Heavenly Father on October 24, 2019 at the age of 74.

Karen Noreen Franks was born September 13, 1945 in Grafton, ND, to Lorne and Lorene (McClennon) Franks. She grew up with eight siblings in Hamilton, ND, where she graduated from high school in 1963. On June 12, 1965, Karen married Noel LeTexier in LeRoy, ND. Karen and Noel had five children together in Grand Forks, ND, before moving to Roseau, MN, in 1977.

When Karen was 11 years old, she recorded in her childhood Bible that she had accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, 1959.  It was after the end of her marriage to Noel that her faith in the Lord was renewed and began to grow.  In that season of brokenness, she made studying the Bible and prayer the primary focus of her life.  She also began to make Christ the center of her home, and instilled in her children a love for the Lord, which lasts until this day.

On February 22, 1986, she was married to Gary Markstrom of Roseau. She dearly loved her entire family, and her favorite thing to do was spend time with them. She would travel the world to visit her children, grandchildren and siblings. She also loved to go camping, and attended Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp as often as possible.  Every Sunday she faithfully attended the Evangelical Covenant Church of Roseau, and considered her church friends a part of her extended family.  Karen worked for Life Care Hospital for 31 years starting in 1988, and grew to greatly care for the many co-workers she had over the years.

Above everything else, Karen loved her Lord Jesus Christ, and desired to serve Him with all her heart.  She was well known for acts of kindness, but she would want the world to know that these acts were simply an outpouring of the love and work of the Lord in her own life. 

Karen is survived by her husband, Gary Markstrom, Roseau, MN; daughter, Cindy (Mark) Tangen, Roseau, MN; sons, John (Darlene) LeTexier, Toulouse, France; Joe (Susana) LeTexier, Columbia, SC; Bill (Debbie) LeTexier, Eden Prairie, MN; Matthew (December) LeTexier, Indianapolis, IN. Fourteen grandchildren, Michael (Steph), Bethany, John, Luke and Joshua Tangen; Daniel, Jack, Karis, Lucas, Marcus, Hannah, Paul, Ethan and Catie LeTexier; siblings, Harold Franks, Dennison, TX; Murdy Franks, Canton OH; Gayle (Richard) McConnell, Drayton, ND; Ella (Gordy) Fink, Freemont, CA; Neil Franks, Woodbridge, NJ; sister-in-law, Mavis Franks, Canton, OH; brother-in-laws, Richard Holand andKeith (Pam) Markstrom, Roseau, MN, and grandchildren-by-love Tara Jenkins, and Jeremy and Nick Markstrom. Karen is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lorne and Lorene Franks; sisters, Gwen Miller and Lorna Holand; brother, Dean Franks; and infant grandchildren, Grace Tangen and David and Hadassah LeTexier.

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