Karen Degen

Karen Lee Degen, 77, of Chillicothe, passed away Friday morning, January 18, 2019, at Signature Healthcare in Chillicothe.
She was born June 30, 1941, in Spencerville, Ohio to the late Raymond O. and Virginia M. (Savidge) Zuber.
Surviving is her loving life partner of 27 years, Buford D. Bradley, of Chillicothe; her children, Melody Smallridge, of Chillicothe, Douglas (Ginette) Degen, of Elida, Donald (Diana) Degen, of Lima, Jon (Lisa) Degen, of Sikeston, MO, James Degen, of Columbus, Holly (Samuel Couch Jr.) Wedebrook, of Chillicothe, Darren Bradley, of West Portsmouth, Robert Bradley, of Lucasville, and Donnie Bradley, of Piketon; a very special family member, Chad Greenlee; her grandchildren, Joshua (Danielle Smith) Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Amanda (Casey) Lawless, Douglas (Danielle) Degen, Alan (Sara) Degen, Alexandria (Lance) Orndoff, John M. (Rhonda) Wedebrook, Kari (Chris Hight) Wedebrook, Nicolas (Ginny May) Wedebrook, and Samuel Couch III; great-grandchildren, Harleigh Johnson, Sydney Johnson, Austin Johnson, Isiah Johnson, Rylie Ferguson, Jackson Lawless, Bailey Degen, Brooklyn Degen, Brayden Degen, Nora Degen, Charlotte Degen, Jared Degen, Jonathon Degen, Josiah Degen, Neon Paige, Mikalee Wedebrook, John Wedebrook III, MJ Shaffer, Nevaeh Hight, Jocylin Shaffer, Santana Hight, Alexis Wedebrook; great-great-grandchild, Oaklyn Blazer; her sisters, Barbara Brenneman, and Anita Zuber; a sister by choice, Marsha Adams; as well as nieces and nephews equally important but too numerous to mention. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Donald Degen, a grandson, Ryan Degen, a great-grandson, Jeremiah Johnson, her son-in-law, John Smallridge, and brothers, Bruce Zuber and Robert Zuber, a brother-in-law, Roger Brenneman, and a sister by choice, Joyce Ford.
Karen started her police career in 1968 at the Spencerville Police Department where she completed the first 130 hour police course in 1970. She later became a security officer at the Lima, Ohio K-Mart where she assisted as the Security Chief. She later transferred to the new K-Mart store in Chillicothe, Ohio as Security Chief in 1972. She went on to become a Ross County Sheriff Deputy and became a federal police officer in 1974 at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center. It was here she became a sergeant and the first woman to integrate into an all male department for the second time in her career. She worked on the police force until 1996, when a car accident prevented her from continuing her employment. Although Karen loved her work, her favorite thing in the entire world was her family. She loved all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and was so incredibly proud of each and every one of them.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00pm on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Haller Funeral Home, with Pastor Bruce Viar officiating. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery. Friends may join the family for a visitation from 11:00am until the time of the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the National Kidney Foundation, or to the American Diabetes Association.
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