SALINA – Karen Lee Ganoung (Dickinson) died peacefully on October 18, 2019 in Salina, KS, surrounded by her children.
Karen was born October 27, 1936 in Russell, KS to Robert Leland and Shirley Margaret (Beller) Dickinson of Gorham, KS. She attended Natoma High School and graduated from Park College, Parkville, MO with a BA in Music. She married Raymond Larry Ganoung of Plainville, KS on November 9, 1958. They lived in California and Indiana before settling in Hoisington, where she was a housewife and Ray was a Veterinarian.
Karen & Ray had four children: Dr. Regan Nichols (Quaife) of Oklahoma City, OK; Kevin Ganoung (Linda) of Gypsum, KS; Joyce Boykin (Dennis) of Leesburg, VA and Kris Ganoung (Kristin) of Halsey, NE. She has seven grandchildren Erica, Jozette, Casey, Erin, Isaac, Alex and Miriam, 6 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She is survived by sisters, Margaret Beyer and Janet Nordlund; sister-in-law Jan Dickinson; and brother-in-law Don Ganoung & wife Earlene.
She was preceded in death by her husband Ray, her parents, brother, Robert Dickinson, and brothers-in-law, George Beyer and Don Nordlund.
She was a long-standing member of the First United Methodist Church of Hoisington, serving as organist and Sunday School teacher. She was a 4-H member and leader, competing in and judging at the State Fair in bread baking. She gave piano lessons to her children and other local students. She was a bird watcher, kept annual bird lists, participated in the annual bird count and was a life member of the Audubon Society. She loved to look for birds wherever she traveled and Cheyenne Bottoms was a favorite place to go throughout the year. Karen and Ray enjoyed Square Dancing for many years, traveling throughout the state of Kansas. She loved to quilt and blessed her family with many quilts over the years. She had flower and vegetable gardens for many years and canned much of the produce for the family to enjoy. She faithfully followed Kansas City Royals baseball for many years and kept game stats by hand. Her family all knew not to call during Royals games as she wouldn’t answer the phone. Karen and Ray enjoyed playing cards, including Pinochle, Canasta, Cribbage and many board games. Her cousin Peggy would stop by and they would play games late into the night. She loved her many black cats: Uno, Duet, Tertia, Suburb (kitten of Tertia), Quartet, Funf, Koosi and her last cat Seven who now lives with her great-niece Emily. The Ganoung family hosted many foreign exchange students and veterinary interns over the years.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m., Friday, October 25, 2019, at the First United Methodist Church, Hoisington, KS with burial at the Hoisington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Friends of Cheyenne Bottoms, First United Methodist Church, or Hospice of Salina, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home
PO Box 146
Hoisington, KS 67544
The Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, October 22 2019
