Karen E. Holthaus, age 37, of Abingdon, Maryland, lost her courageous battle with lymphoma on February 10, 2006. Karen was born in England on August 5, 1968 and was adopted by her parents when just two weeks old. She is survived by her three-year old daughter Amanda; her parents Robert and Linda Holthaus of Beverly Hills, FL; her brother Matthew Holthaus of Culver City, CA; her sister Rachel Holthaus of Severn, MD; seventeen Aunts and Uncles; eighteen first cousins; and many other extended family members.
In addition, Karen had special happiness brought into her life when she found her biological mother Sandra Smith of Glenrothes, Scotland just 10 months before her death; and had the joy of meeting Sandra in person, as well as her stepfather, Sidney Smith, and half brother Mark Smith on her last day of full consciousness just six days before her passing. Survivors from her biological family include her birth mother Sandra Smith, stepfather Sidney Smith, half-brother Mark Smith, her grandfather William Hernon, one Aunt, Grace Smith, and a cousin, Kerie Swan, all residents of Scotland.
She was preceded in death by her infant brother Nathan Holthaus (1970); her half-sister Donna Smith of Glenrothe, Scotland (2000); and her cousin Lynne Keener Smith of Grand Rapids, Michigan (2005).
Karen graduated from high school in Europe in 1986, attained a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Salisbury in 1992 and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1993. She was employed by the Veterans Administration as a Medical Social Worker Supervisor at the VA hospital in Baltimore.
Karen was surrounded by love from her family, extended family, birth family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, patients of the VA hospital, others whom she touched in the course of her ten years as a social worker, the staff of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and many others – all of whom admired her for her strength and courage and her cheerful and unwavering positive outlook in the face of overwhelming health problems.
Services were held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Joppa, MD on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 with Rev. Charles H. Lashley officiating. Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2006 at Grace Lutheran Church, 720 Jackson Street, Omro, WI from 11 A.M. until the time of the funeral service at 1:00 P.M. with Rev. John Brogaard officiating. Burial will follow in the North Rushford Cemetery.