Karen Ann McGrane

Karen Ann (Brenhofer) McGrane, age 70, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, February 11, 2025, after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Brenhofer and Emma (Laszlo) Brenhofer; father-in-law, Dale McGrane; sister-in-law, Deborah Koester; brother-in-law, Darcy Koester. She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Thomas; children, Molly, Hannah (Brigham) Hafen, Sarah, Joshua (Lorene); grandchildren, Kalli, Micah, Gideon, Lily, Arwen; brother Randy (Gigi) Brenhofer. 

A celebration of life service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, February 22 at River of God Church, 2490 7th Ave E, North St. Paul, MN. Visitation one hour before the service and a lunch following the service. 

In her younger years, Karen loved playing sports and riding horses. She had her own horse, Stormy Monday, and she competed in horse shows, amassing a collection of ribbons and trophies. She also enjoyed traveling with friends, with a favorite trip being to Hawaii with her friend Ricki.

Karen worked for many years as an administrative assistant for her church and other companies, and was appreciated for her organizational skills. She was involved in women’s ministry and prayer groups. She had a passion for praying for the needs of others and spent countless hours doing so.

Karen was very creative and loved crafts of all kinds. She made quilts for friends and relatives, especially handmade quilts as treasured gifts for newborns. She enjoyed spending time in her craft room. She often repurposed garage sale and thrift store finds and other materials, transforming them into treasures to decorate her home or share with others.

She had a special gift for interior decorating. She was an avid viewer of just about every HGTV show, where she picked up new ideas and used them to transform her home. It brought her joy, and her family loved the wonderful environment she created.

Family was important to Karen. When her children were young, she enjoyed caring for them and poured herself into their lives, eventually returning to working after they were in school. Today, they often comment on how much they appreciated the fun and creative things they did with their mom during those years.

After their kids grew up and left home, Tom and Karen enjoyed traveling together to anywhere that was warmer than Minnesota. They especially loved the trips they took to Florida, California and Arizona.

Karen was a strong Christian woman of faith and a fighter who endured many years of health challenges, including rheumatoid arthritis and, for the last five years, ovarian cancer. She never gave up, but continued to live and enjoy each day with grace from God. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.