Karen Ann Vergeront, 74

Karen Beck Vergeront was born on July 9, 1948, to Sam and Betty Beck in Deer Lodge.

She was raised as a country kid of the 50s with neighbors, cousins and friends. There were blue skies, horses to ride and gates to open. This was also the time that her Grandma Mary made sure she got to Sunday School and her mom had her take piano lessons from Sister Marianna.

She attended grade school in Deer Lodge and went to Powell County High where she would make lifelong friends. After high school she attended Flathead Valley College in Kalispell, worked vocational rehab in Bozeman, spent some time in Lewiston, Idaho, and back to Deer Lodge before moving to Polson where she would marry Chip Vergeront.

They would live on Tower Road and raise their family in a house that she made into a home. Polson was a good fit for her personality – that she never met a stranger.

She would use her piano skills in many ways. She accompanied the Port Polson Players for numerous plays, taught hundreds of students to play the piano, and in the Polson Schools she would accompany all grades of choir and accompanied many students at district and state music festivals. She played at countless church services and would accompany for memorial services where she would often be complimented by the performer for having the ability to make the songs flow so smoothly.

In the 1980s she attended Cursillo at the Lutheran Camp and for the next 23 years she would serve as a member of the music team at Camp Marshall. When Montana Rock Products employed H2B workers from Mexico, Karen found a new passion, the Spanish language and the Mexican culture. She spent six weeks in Puebla, Mexico, in a Spanish emersion school. Then for a number of years she would travel many backroads of Old Mexico, spending time in the homes of friends in Hueyotlian, Tlaxcala.

As a mother she would say raising kids is like herding cats. She enjoyed each one of them from infants to young adults and now with families of their own. Somewhat like a Mama Bear encouraging and guiding them but when they crossed the line, they knew it.

When she reached retirement age, she started substitute teaching at Polson Schools. With her zest for life, she was a remarkable teacher with many teachers requesting her for their classroom.

In 2019 she was offered the opportunity to teach music at Valley View and Dayton Schools. She really enjoyed putting together her teaching program and was gratified watching students learn. Her students did care for her, and it wasn’t unusual while in a store shopping that a young student would come up yelling “Mrs. V” and give her a hug.

In February 2021, after a few events, she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma brain tumor. With the skill of an incredible medical team and prayer from loved ones, she was able to remain with us for an extra two years, inspiring us to believe we do not live to ourselves and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Earl and Betty Coriell and Sam Beck, and her sisters, Marilyn (Tom) Weingart and Janet (Wayne) Womack.

She is survived by her husband, Chip Vergeront; their children, Jerry (Kim) Vergeront, grandchildren Megan and Lee, Marc (Becky) Vergeront, granddaughter Lauren, Tawni (Kirk) Murphy, granddaughter Kylie, Alison (Michael) Pease Vergeront, grandchildren Rosabella and Ledger and added son Rudy (Lupita) Beristain, grandsons Omar and Victor, and sister Rita Chase, brothers Steve (Sharon) Beck and Randy (Olivia) Coriell.

Karen died on May 13, 2023, in her home surrounded by family and friends. We would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Logan Health in Kalispell, St. Luke’s-Southshore, St. Luke’s-Ronan, St. Joseph’s-Polson, Partners Home Health and Partners Hospice, friends and members of the Karen’s Crew that kept her in their prayers.

A Celebration of Life was Saturday, May 20, at 11 a.m. at the Polson Community Church. A burial followed at Lakeview Cemetery. The service was live streamed through Karen’s Crew on Facebook.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions towards a future scholarship in Karen’s name. Please feel free to send monetary gifts to Alison Vergeront at 48 34th Ave NE, Great Falls, MT 59404.

Messages of condolences may be shared online with the family at www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.

Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.