Obituaries

Karen Sue Mezger, 69, of Table Rock, Nebraska was born on February 9, 1951, in Nebraska City, NE to Carl A. and Alice A. (Crow) Schneider. Karen was the youngest of five children, having 4 older brothers. She attended kindergarten through 7th​ ​grade in Peru and then attended 8th​ ​-12th​ ​ grade in Auburn, graduating from Auburn High School with the class of 1969. Karen went on to college at Peru State College to study Home Economics Education, where she ended up meeting the love of her life. On May 13, 1972, Karen was united in marriage to Richard Barry Mezger at the United Methodist Church in Auburn, Nebraska. To this union four children: David, Thomas, Matthew and Katherine were born. The couple began their marriage living in Omaha before moving to Carlstadt, New Jersey, where her husband was born and raised. They lived there for two years near Richard’s family before moving back to Table Rock, Nebraska in 1974 so Richard could join her father and brother, Gary, in operating SM&S Salvage. Karen finished her degree at Peru State College and began her teaching career as a Home Economics teacher for Dawson-Verdon Public Schools until 1979. She took a break from teaching full-time to raise her children from 1979-1995. She returned to Dawson-Verdon as guidance counselor in 1998 and completed her Masters of Science in Education Degree. Karen would later transfer to HTRS Public Schools in 2004, retiring in 2020.