Karen Bestul, of Lincoln, died September 21, 2024, at the age of 82.  She was born August 31, 1942, in Shawano, Wisconsin, the daughter of Bjorn Christenson and Eva Rae (Hanson).  She was educated in the public schools of De Pere, Wisconsin, where her father was a high school teacher and her mother managed the household.  She attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, graduating with an honors degree in English.  She then received a Master’s degree in teaching from Harvard University.

In 1965 she married Thomas Bestul, and moved with him to Lincoln in 1968.  That marriage ended in divorce.  For many years she taught business communication at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, and later was a tutor for the Lincoln Public Schools.

In middle age she took up running and competed at a high level into her seventies, accumulating many prizes and awards in numerous races throughout the country and running in the Boston Marathon, New York Marathon, and many others. She had finished a half marathon, winning her age-group, shortly before an illness robbed her of her vitality and strength.  At the time of her death, she still held 5 age-group records for the Lincoln Marathon.

She is survived by her sons and their partners, Mark Bestul (Elizabeth Govaerts), of Lincoln, and Nicholas Bestul (Hilary Walker), of Tijeras, New Mexico; her granddaughter, Erica Bestul, of Lincoln;  brothers Chris Christenson, of Footville, Wisconsin; Keith Christenson, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Matthew Christenson, of Mauston, Wisconsin, her sister Mary Christenson-Smith, of Barneveld, Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Leslie Trewyn.

Karen Louise Christenson Bestul, August 31, 1942, Shawano, Wisconsin; September 21, 2024, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Karen’s sons and granddaughter each selected an organization where memorials may be made:  Friendship Home, a domestic violence shelter in Lincoln, Nebraska, Santuario de Karuna, an animal sanctuary in Tijeras, New Mexico, and National Public Radio.

www.friendshiphome.org

www.santuariodekaruna.org

www.npr.org

A celebration of life for Karen will be held from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM, Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Wick Alumni Center, 1520 R Street, Lincoln, NE. If you would like, please wear something purple, which was Karen’s favorite color.