Karalee (Stewart) Koppang

Karalee (Stewart) Koppang was born June 3, 1944 in Seattle, Wash., to Bruce and Vera Stewart. She passed away on April 14, 2010 at her home in Oregon City, Ore.

From Seattle she moved with her family to Hungry Horse, where she grew up and graduated from Columbia Falls High School. Karalee went on to graduate from the University of Montana with honors and a degree in journalism. She married her college sweetheart, Ron Koppang, also from Columbia Falls, in 1966 and moved to Long Beach, Calif. She and Ron relocated to Oregon City in 1971 and have lived there ever since.

She and Ron raised their two girls, Riona and Shanin in Oregon City. Karalee worked with Ron for 19 years at the State Farm office. She retired before Ron and focused on her love of watercolor painting, golf, and gardening.

Karalee appreciated every aspect of life and the freedoms that came with it. She loved her family, her friends. She loved having a plan and having people over for dinner. Her generosity, caring nature and strong-will are missed already.

She is survived by husband Ron in Oregon City; daughters Riona Koppang and Shanin Prusia, son-in-law Christian Prusia, two grandsons Cole and Owen Prusia, all of Portland, Ore.; her parents Bruce and Vera Stewart of Kalispell, brother Don Stewart of Columbia Falls and sisters Shelley Borden of Kalispell and Cindy Patterson of Columbia Falls. Memorial Contributions can be made to West Linn Lutheran Church in West Linn, Ore. A service in her memory will be held on Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m. at West Linn Lutheran Church in West Linn, Ore.