Karen Tanous

Karen Kathleen Strand Tanous, 61, died peacefully surrounded by the love of her family January 6, 2006 at her home in Bismarck, after a five month battle with ovarian cancer. Services will be held at 10:00 AM Monday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Laurie Natwick officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Sunday at Eastgate Funeral Service Karen was born on August 12, 1944, in Hettinger, ND, to Bert and Myrtle Lien Strand. She attended Main Grade School and graduated from Hettinger High School in 1962. In 1964 she graduated with a certificate in teaching from Dickinson State University and taught elementary school in Dickinson. She continued her education and graduated from Dickinson State University with a Bachelors degree in 1966. She continued teaching until she joined her husband in the U.S. Navy, having been married in July of that same year to Wayne Tanous. Upon returning to North Dakota in 1970, Karen taught school in Grand Forks until 1976 when she joined the Mandan Public School system to complete her teaching career which spanned thirty-five years. During these years she also received a Master of Education degree from the University of North Dakota in 1986. During Karen's teaching career she was a member of the Mandan Education Association, Grand Forks Education Association, South Central Reading Council, North Dakota Reading Association, International Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as well as the Association for Curriculum Development and Supervision. Karen was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and the Strike Point Bell Choir, North Dakota Retried Teachers and was an active member of the Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, having held several offices at the local and state levels. Karen is survived by her husband, Wayne; her two sons, Al DeAn Tanous and their children Devin, Hannah and Conner of Casselton, ND, and Jason Stacey Tanous and their children Jayden and Katirina of Fargo, ND; one sister Nadine Tom Mahler of Medical Lake, WA; two brothers, Galen Suzanne Strand of Bowman, ND and Trevor Kerry Strand of Hettinger, ND; and her mother, one of her closest friends, of Hettinger. Karen also had eight loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father Bert. Karen's love of family, friends and life in general was well known to everyone who knew her and it is no surprise that even in her final moments with us, she wished to have her time on earth seen as a celebration. Karen had many hobbies which included sewing, walking and being with her grandchildren, who she loved dearly but her lifelong love of music, not just a hobby, is reflected in her desire to have memorials sent to the music department of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Karen Tanous

August 12, 1944 - January 6, 2006