Karen was born the second child of Master Sergeant (Bill) Albert William Paine, Jr. and Dorothy Andrea Lucus at Fort Ord, California, an Army post on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. She was one of 8 siblings, 4 girls and 4 boys who traveled the country as Army brats. Some of the places lived were Seaside California, Lawton Oklahoma, Tacoma and Olympia Washington, and Babenhausen, Germany. We have so many fun memories as kids- ice skating in Germany, making apple turnovers from the apple trees in our yard in Olympia , going to the library since we all loved to read, driving the country in a station wagon or VW Bus with no seat belts, and eating tacos, our favorite meal.

Karen graduated from Davis High School in 1973. Over the years she studied at Weber State and trade schools and held long term jobs at Autoliv and Fresenius Medical.