Karen Henslin

Karen K Henslin of La Habra passed away on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in Yorba Linda, California. 

Her funeral will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at White Emerson Mortuary in Whittier. A cookie reception will follow the service. 

Karen Kay Henslin was born October 14, 1951 in Blair, Nebraska, the daughter of Fred and Virginia (Engelhardt) Palke. She grew up on a farm in Clara City, Minnesota and attended Clara City High School graduating in 1969. Following that she attended Minnesota State University in Mankato where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in music education. 

Karen enjoyed teaching music education for 45 years. She shared her passion for music with her family and friends. She inspired a love of music in her students.  An annual favorite for her was taking her choir and handbell students on music tours to San Diego and San Luis Obispo. She loved her students and the faculty of Whittier Christian Junior High and later Heights Christian Junior High.  

In her free time Karen enjoyed singing in the choir and playing handbells at EV Free Fullerton.  She helped start handbells programs at two other churches and several schools. Additionally she was active in Campus Crusade for Christ and lead many Bible studies. 

As a breast cancer survivor herself she felt honored to helped raise money for breast cancer awareness and research.  She was a passionate supporter of breast cancer education.

Karen loved her children and grandchildren. She especially loved playing with her grandchildren. She loved gardening and baking. She was known to surprise friends and family with cookies, pies and ice cream desserts.  She was known to have chocolate on hand, always. 

Karen is survived by her cat, Sugar; her son, Ben (and Grace) Henslin of Placentia, CA; her daughters, Rachel (and Keith) Hengerle of Walden, NY;   Amy (and Stephan) Benzmann of Hamburg, Germany, and Jill ( and Mark) Edwards of Chino Hills, CA;  10 grandchildren, Jorja Henslin, Lily Henslin, Bella Henslin, Ava Hengerle, David Hengerle, Emma Benzmann, Lucy Benzmann, Harvey Edwards, Trent Edwards, and Madi Edwards. Also surviving are her sister, Susan (and Ed) Evanson of Beresford, SD and her brother, Tom ( and Kathy) Palke of Willmar, MN. 

In lieu of flowers, the family ask you make a donation in Karen’s name to an organization dedicated to research on Alzheimer’s and/or Leukemia, or an Orange County animal rescue.