Karen (Undem) Hinnaland, age 71, of Terry passed away on July 21, 2008 at the Prairie Community Hospital after a long and brave struggle against a rare liver disease.

   Karen was born on September 12, 1936 in Glendive, MT to Mike and Evelyn (Kent) Undem.  Karen grew up on the family ranch in the Bloomfield area and attended grade school at Deer Creek Country School.  She graduated from Dawson County High School in 1954.  In 1957, Karen graduated from Holy Rosary Presentation School of Nursing in Miles City where she gained more than an education, she built many close friendships with her fellow nurses that spanned her lifetime.  Immediately after obtaining her nurses license, she and a number of her classmates worked at various hospitals around Montana, North Dakota and even spent a summer working in Yosemite National Park.  In 1962, Karen married Todd Hinnaland of Brockway, MT and had two daughters, Kathryn and Barbara.  The Hinnalands moved to Terry in 1970 and have resided there since.  During her long career as an R.N., Karen worked in the Terry Schools and the Summer Migrant Program as the school nurse; she worked at the Terry Hospital and was the nurse at Prairie Community Clinic for a number of years.  Most notably, she was a lifeline to many people in Prairie County for 17 years as County Health Nurse, a position that she created to help the county deal with the needs of its aging population. 

     Before her illness took her strength, Karen was very active in the community and gave selflessly.  She was a 4-H leader and was on the Council on Aging, the Manor Board as well a number of committees dealing with issues such as child welfare, mental health and domestic violence.  When her children were in high school, she opened her home to two other students who needed a place to stay.  Both Cheryl Stevenson and Terry Schwartz knew Karen's home as their home.  She established the Community Christmas Food and Gift Drive which benefited the elderly and less fortunate families, a program which has continued on to this day as a wonderful volunteer tradition in Prairie County.  She also had her own tradition of taking baked goodies and plates of food to friends and elderly neighbors at Christmas time, when they were ill or just because she thought they might enjoy it.  She was honored as First Lady of Prairie County in 1985 and was also named as a Senior Citizen of the Year for the State of Montana in 1999 for her years of service to her community.            

      Karen enjoyed gardening, baking, traveling, fishing and most importantly spending time with her daughters, her grandson and her extended family and many friends.  In retirement, she and her husband, Todd, went on a couple of memorable cruises and traveled extensively in their fifth wheel. 

      Karen was preceded in death by her parents.  She is survived by her husband Todd; two daughters: Kathy West (Mark) of Floyd Virginia and Barbara Hinnaland (Mike Humphreys) of Kirkland, Washington; her 2 and a half year old grandson, John West, who was her pride and joy; her brother Obert Undem (Ginny) of Billings, MT, Brother-in-laws Bob (Mary Alice); Jack (Debbie) Hinnaland and Glenn Beecher; Sister-in-laws:  Kaye Wolff, Dana (Bill) Wahl and Mary (Roland) Pederson.  She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews and close friends and neighbors.

     Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Terry.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Community Presbyterian Church in Terry.  Interment will follow in the family lot of the Prairie County Cemetery.  Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting:  www.stevensonandsons.com.

    If desired, memorials may be made to the Karen Hinnaland Nursing Scholarship Fund at the Stockman Bank in Terry, Montana, the Prairie County Public Health Department, the Prairie County Library or the charity of your choosing.