I first met Karen Gilhousen at a church in Bozeman, MT. My wife and I had gone to hear a friend preach and attended the welcome coffee after the service in the church basement. We heard her laugh (which was loud and infectious) long before we ever met her. Her husband, Klein, introduced us to her by saying, “Have you met my trophy wife?” She was kind, down to earth, and funny as we chatted that morning.
Over the years, I got to know Karen better. Her laugh never changed. It was always loud and infectious. She was just as at home working on the ranch or talking over coffee at the church as she was attending the local opera. I knew her as a committed Christian who loved serving in the kingdom.
She was a generous, kind, and down-to-earth person whom you could chat with about anything. She would volunteer her property for BBQ dinners and Bible studies and would usually find her way over to you and ask how you were doing. Her ranch house was also frequently available as a place for people to stay when they were in town for a short while and also housed the YTI offices for the first few years. She was truly a wonderful person, and I will miss her.