Karen Yvonne Wieden, a beloved figure in Vici, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully at age 84 on April 7, 2025, leaving behind her husband Jay of 67 years and two children.
The news of her passing spread quickly, with Harmon Nazarene announcing it on Facebook:
Friends, family, and neighbors mourned the loss of a woman known for her strength, kindness, and continuous dedication to her family and community.
Karen Excelled As An Athlete In Fast-Pitch Softball During High School
Karen was born to Ira and Emma Bowers on March 19, 1941, at the old Woodward Hospital in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Growing up in a close-knit family, she attended Pleasant Ridge County School before transferring to Vici Public School.
It was at Vici where Karen discovered her love for fast-pitch softball.
She shone as an athlete during high school, and her competitive spirit and natural talent made her stand out on the field.
Even after graduation, Karen couldn’t quit the game she loved.
She joined a women’s softball league, swinging bats and chasing grounders with the same passion she’d always had.
Karen’s life took a beautiful turn when she met Jay Wieden. The two married on January 19, 1958, beginning a partnership that would last nearly seven decades.
Soon after their wedding, Jay was drafted into the army, and Karen didn’t hesitate to follow him.
They settled at Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia, where they started their lives together.
When Jay was sent to Korea to serve, Karen returned to Vici and took on a new venture running a laundromat they’d opened together.
She kept things going strong until Jay came home, proving early on that she was as resilient as she was loving.
In May 1961, Karen and Jay welcomed their first son, Klinton Jay. Three years later, their family grew again with the arrival of their second son, Travis Dale.
The couple sold their laundromat in Vici and moved to Harmon, Oklahoma, when Klinton was still a toddler.
There, Jay worked at the Tonkawa Refinery while also farming alongside Karen.
She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, whether helping with the cattle, delivering baby calves, or driving trucks full of wheat to the co-op during harvest season.
Even with her busy days, Karen brought homemade lunches and a freezer of her famous ice cream to the fields, a sweet gesture that became a family tradition.
Karen poured her heart into raising her boys.
She was constantly present at their 4H and FFA events, cheering them on at livestock shows and building lifelong friendships with other families.
Her sons, Klinton and Travis, grew up knowing they had a mother who’d do anything for them.
The Wiedens’ journey took them to Thomas, Oklahoma, and later to Derby, Kansas, as Jay pursued work opportunities.
It was in Derby that Karen faced one of her most brutal battles, a brain aneurysm that doctors thought would take her life.
She fought the odds and recovered, showing the same grit she’d carried since her softball days.
Eventually, she and Jay returned to Harmon, where they put down roots for good.
In 2024, Karen suffered a fall that broke her femur near her pelvis. The injury led her to the Vici Nursing Home, where she spent her final months.
Even then, surrounded by care, she remained a source of inspiration to those who knew her.
Tributes Followed Karen’s Death From Those Whom Her Warmth And Generosity Had Touched
One friend wrote,
“Prayers for Jay, Klint, Travis and family., the extended family and friends she was a wonderful person.”
Via Facebook
Another added,
“Sending Prayers to Travis Tommi Wieden Jay to everyone. She will be remembered as a wonderful woman. I’m so sorry “
Via Facebook
The outpouring of love was a testament to Karen’s mark on her community.
Karen Yvonne Wieden is survived by her husband, Jay Wieden, her sons, Klinton and Travis (and Travis’s wife, Tommi), her grandson, Brett Hayes, and many other family members.
Her life was one of hard work, family devotion, and quiet strength. From Vici’s softball fields to Harmon’s wheat fields, she lived fully and loved deeply.
As her family prepares to lay her to rest on April 7, 2025, at Harmon Cemetery, they carry forward the lessons she taught them: solidity, loyalty, and the importance of a good homemade ice cream on a hot day.
Karen’s spirit will live on in the stories shared by those who knew her, a legacy as enduring as the Oklahoma plains she called home.
