Karen Prunty

Karen (Vanden Wymelenberg) Prunty of Antigo, whose unbounded kindness was a comfort to countless people, died in her home Saturday morning. She was 66. Karen was born to Richard and Bernice Vanden Wymelenberg in Wrightstown, WI. She was Class Valedictorian (1976) and an inductee to the Wrightstown High School Wall of Fame (2024). She cherished memories with her nine siblings and parents, in particular, annual trips to Lake Lucerne and working at the family grocery store Dick's Family Foods. There she learned cake decorating alongside her mother and cultivated her ability to make others feel seen. Her cake artistry was never a celebration of herself but a tribute to the receiving person. She could intuitively sense how to make anyone feel special; each project was personalized, bringing joy to birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and even International Credit Union Day. During three decades of delivering weekly meals to the homebound, she always listened to their stories. A dedicated servant leader, she shared her gifts as a 4-H leader for 25 years, a member of the Antigo Library Board, and an active member of her church, including being a member of the Rosary Society ...[more]

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a singer in the choir. A person of deep faith, she centered her life on helping others. She co-founded the not-for-profit organization Living Waters International and volunteered thousands of hours. Her actions enabled education and brought critical infrastructure to hundreds in Africa and other developing regions. Her proudest achievement was being a mom to five children and grandma to ten grandkids. Each will cherish a unique memory or lesson, such as how to preserve produce for enjoyment through the winter, how to roast the perfect s'more, and where to find the potato bugs. Her children will remember her voice, harmonizing with dad's, singing Happy Birthday as the first thing we hear each year. Her grandchildren will remember the outpouring of playful joy, including dressing up as royalty for tea parties, making Valentine's cards out of construction paper, playing Ping-Pong (with all the intention of winning), and teaching them her baking secrets. Karen is preceded in death by her father, Richard Vanden Wymelenberg, and brother, Mike Vanden Wymelenberg. She is survived by her partner in life's most extraordinary adventures and husband of 45 years, Brian Prunty. She is also survived by son Eric (Kristy) Prunty and grandchildren Logan, Lucy, and Aubrey; daughter Jennifer (Nick) Matuszewski and grandchildren Wyatt and Violet; son Sam (Alyssa) Prunty and grandchildren Roxie, Irelyn, Leo, Lyle, and Greyleigh; daughter Elly (Kevin) Hall, and daughter Mary (Wyatt Massey) Prunty. She is also survived by her mother, Bonnie Vanden Wymelenberg; sister-in-law, Nancy Vanden Wymelenberg; siblings, Paula (Mike) Weyers, Mary Ann (Dave) Ozarowicz, Nancy (Dan) Matheiu, Rick (Mary) Vanden Wymelenberg, Pete (Mary Jo) Vanden Wymelenberg, Jamie (Jen) Vanden Wymelenberg, John (Ann) Vanden Wymelenberg, Michelle (Pete) Rentmeester; brothers-in-law, Kevin Prunty, Tim (Rose) Prunty, Joel (Janet) Prunty; sisters-in-law, Mary Jo (Royce) Sorensen, Anne (Chuck) Sterletske, and Amy (Jon) Kollath. The family thanks all her caregivers and spiritual partners, including Aspirus LeRoyer Hospice. Finally, the kids thank their mom and dad - who together on the three-year ALS journey - dared to love deeply; and to mom for her remarkable strength, who pursued life with such vigor and optimism that she was ordering her garden seeds up until her final day. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 22 at 11 a.m. at SS Mary & Hyacinth Catholic Church with the Very Reverend Joel Sember officiating. A private burial will take place at Queen of Peace Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Bradley Funeral Home with a parish wake service at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Living Waters International https://www.livingwatersinternational.org/.