On Nov. 23 at 48, Karen Marie Walden, of Maple Grove, Minn., died from complications associated with a rare type of T–cell lymphoma she has been fighting for three and half years.
Karen was born Karen Marie Saxhaug on Sept. 29, 1959, in Virginia, Minn. In 1982, she graduated from the University of Minnesota and the Universidad of Seville, Spain with a degree in Spanish. Karen then attended Hamline University School of Law where she met her husband, Jim. After law school, Karen and Jim lived in the Washington D.C. area for eight and half years. Karen worked for the EEOC and the Alexandria, Virginia, Commonwealth Attorney's Office. fter returning to Minnesota in 1994, Karen worked as an Assistant Anoka County Attorney, and raised three sons.
Karen leaves behind her dear husband of 20 years, James, her sons Derek, 14, Jacob, 11, and Samuel, 9; parents Vernon and Marlys Saxhaug of Virginia, Minn.; sisters, Sherry Coughlin of Aurora, Minn, Deborah Saxhaug of Eagan, Minn.; Mark Saxhaug, Bradford Saxhaug and Eric Saxhaug, all of Virginia, Minn.; fourteen nieces and nephews; parents-in-law Bill and Abby Walden of Maple Grove, Minn.; sisters-in-law, Amy Walden Potvin of Maple Grove, Minn. and Elizabeth Walden of Providence, R.I.; and brother-in-law, David Walden (Esmeralda) of San Francisco, Calif.