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Nov. 2, 1945-Aug. 28, 2026
Minot
On August 28, 2026, Karen went to Heaven in her home, with her daughter by her side holding her hand.
Karen Marie (Schmidt) Teagle was born on November 02, 1945, to Harold Francis Schmidt and Lorraine Bernice Bright. She was raised in Minot, North Dakota with her three siblings, Dennis, Mark, and Kathy. She graduated from Bishop Ryan High School in 1963. In 1967, she graduated from Sisters of Saint Francis school of nursing (Saint Joseph's Hospital in Minot, ND) as a registered nurse. She continued her nursing career at Saint Josephs/Unimed and later Trinity Hospital until 2007. She then continued her nursing career at Garrison Community Hospital until her retirement in May 2021.
Karen was a renowned nurse known for her compassion, generosity, and her steadfast dedication to her patients. She was known by her peers to be one of the best nurses there was, even holding management positions to help train and inspire the next generation of nurses, including her own daughter. Because of her, Karla chose to become a nurse herself and continue the legacy of exceptional patient care. Karen's heart especially touched patients and families during her time at the Garrison hospital caring for residents in the nursing home. It was not uncommon for her to purchase small gifts and clothes for her residents with her own money to make sure every patient felt loved and cared for. Towards the end of her nursing career, Karen was also honored to be gifted a quilt from the family of a Native American resident she cared for; she often spoke how meaningful this was to her and how proud she was to be acknowledged for the care she provided. In Garrison, she also had the pleasure of working in the same unit as her daughter, Karla, and granddaughter, Grace.
On August 26, 1967, Karen was united in marriage to Richard W Teagle in Minot, where they made their home (later divorced). From their union came a daughter, their miracle baby, Karla J Scheresky. Karen and Karla had an inseparable bond, being raised by her mom as a single parent, Karen and Karla developed the motto "us against the world."
Karla later had two children, Grace and Sam. Karen's family, especially her grandchildren, were the light of her life. Special memories she had with her family include many trips to Medora, picnics at the zoo, surprise trips to the Oak Park pool, sleeping in tents in the living room, and many more. Grandma Karen's house was everyone's favorite place to be as it was always filled with love, laughter, and endless amounts of treats.
Karen is preceded in death by brother Dennis C Schmidt (Lake Tahoe), brother Mark A Schmidt (Seattle), sister Kathryn A Schmidt (Minneapolis), and parents Harold and Lorraine Schmidt.
Karen is survived by daughter Karla (Wally) Scheresky (Garrison), her precious grandchildren Samuel Scheresky (Bismarck) and Dr. Grace Marie Scheresky (Garrison), and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held in Garrison, ND at the Garrison Lamplighter's Center, 30 West Central Avenue, Garrison, ND 58540 in the Senior Citizens Center on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Published by The Minot Daily News, September 3, 2026.