Being the youngest sibling of our 5, Karen and I were 9 years apart. She was off on her own pretty much by the time I reached middle school age. However, while the age gap limited our time together I’ve always been aware that we were much alike, both in looks and personality. This has been validated over the years as I have been approached countless times by people while out and about with comments like “Karen?” or “You are a Kocher aren’t you? You look just like Karen!”. This would always lead to their stories and fond memories of Karen from when she worked here or there and I was always taken aback at how many people she knew and who knew her all around town. I wish I remembered more of those stories. But what I do remember is how Karen shared some time with her kid sister with her friends: Dirk J., a motorcycle ride with Tom S. and spending time with her at her place on Lake Drive before she left Grand Rapids. I felt so “grown up” and I know it wasn’t just because she was babysitting. I also remember very well Karen taking care of us when we were little, cooking us dinner (acorn squash with sausage baked in the middle? Yucky! And her baked apples, yum!). And like me she had a taste for the gourmet and enjoyed cooking. Definitely a “food snob” and always insisting on the best of everything. After I “grew up” and joined the service, we were unfortunately worlds apart. There were times we connected best we could from a distance, but yes, she was definitely fiercely independent and private. As an adult I became a little jealous of Karen that she had strong memories of our dad that I wasn’t blessed with since he had passed when I was just a year old. But then I came to realize that Karen had lost someone so important to her and sadly, how that must have had such an impact on her and in part shaped her future. Maybe I was the blessed one to not have experienced such a loss or the huge hole it had to have left in her heart? I think our best times together that I will keep closest to my heart was when she returned to Grand Rapids with her husband George to attend my mother’s wedding. It was such a fun and celebratory time with us “kids”. George was, in my mind, perfect for her and I liked (loved) him very much. He fit so well with our brood. I’m comforted that she is now with her beloved husband and our dad, two of the most important people in her life. Rest in peace dear sister. With love always, Connie