Adam: Tell me a little bit about yourself

Karen: Well I’m married, going on 30 years, this coming year. I have two adult kids, that I totally adore,

and one beautiful grandson. Who is 8 months old, actually today. I’ve been a nurse for 20 years, worked

most of that at the Hardin clinic.

A: okay

K: And I can’t actually remember when I came here.

A: To Hardin?

K: To BVHC, I think it was October 2016, I’m not sure, but I love it here.

A: Do you? Tell me why?

K: Because it’s a great place to work, you have family atmosphere, people are generally concerned

about your health and well-being here, um and like at my last sickness, everyday someone was coming

up to me and either praying for me or asking how I was doing, if I needed anything, whatever they could

do to help me through this, which is helpful.

A: These are your fellow employees?

K: Yeah, so it was great, Dr. Upchurch was amazing through all of it. He’s just an excellent doctor and I

am blessed to be able to work with him.

A: And that’s who you work with primarily?

K: Yes, Dr. Jim Upchurch

A: What does he do?

K: He does procedures in our office, he does ultrasound and other procedures. He sees a few patients

for general medicine, but reluctantly he would prefer not to, because he is semi-retired, and kind of

wants to do his own thing, which he loves to do the surgical part of his job.

A: What motivates you Karen?

K: God

A: What gets you out of bed every morning?

K: Um…

A: God is enough, if that’s the extent of your answer.

K: God is enough. but you know what, truthfully, it’s also me. Me getting out of bed, me being a

productive person in this society, my wellbeing, if I laid down and did nothing I would be the most

depressed person in the world, but I have passion for my nursing career, and that’s what gets me out of

bed.

A: It’s amazing how the best cure for selfishness, is service. Is to be others focused and helping others,

that’s a hard lesson to learn in life.

K: It is, but you know our patients are amazing here.

A: Yes

K: I had amazing patients throughout my career, and have developed a lot of good friendships

throughout but, it’s amazing here.

A: Where did you go to school?

K: I graduated from Custer High School in 1987 and I went and did my own thing, had my kids, and then

when Larissa was 5 I decided to go to Nursing school. I went to MSU billings and completed their

nursing program in Licensed Practical Nursing. Unfortunately, I never went back to get my RN, but at this

point I’m not going to pursue that, because I love exactly what I’m doing right now. I don’t want to

spend the extra money to go back to school, and you know my brain is getting a little older, so it might

be a little bit harder. So, no I would rather just do what I am doing.

A: Star trek or Star Wars?

K: Neither

A: Cats or Griz

K: Griz

A: How long have you lived in Hardin?

K: Umm since 1987

A: 30 years, wow, what brought you here?

K: Actually my husband, we were dating at the time and I said to my parents the day I graduate high

school I was going to leave home, I had a job already as a CNA at the Hospital here in Hardin. And I

thought it was the best thing to do, was to move into Hardin and do that.

A: ok, favorite thing about living in Hardin?

K: ….

A: it’s okay to say Adam Renshaw 😊 What do you like about the community, what do you like about

the area geographically, what do you like about the…what’s something you love about this place? What

has kept you here for 30 years? Beside career?

K: Truthfully family is what kept me here. My career also, but I really want to retire in Huntley.

A: Huntley?

K: Huntley

A: Montana?

K: Yes

A: Interesting, tell me why.

K: in the whole wide world that’s where I want to retire because, it’s close to Billings, but it’s out of

Billings.

A: So, Costco trips are made that much easier.

K: True, well Sam’s Club got to go to Sam’s Club.

A: okay, Sam’s club, and the wealth of night life of course in billings.

K: Ah no you know I am getting older Adam, and you know my brother is in a nursing home in billings.

A: Huge

K: And I want to be near him

A: Yup, what’s your favorite Sport?

K: My favorite sport is, Denver Broncos!

A: Moving on 😊, song you can’t get out of your head when you hear it?

K: I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s the one that says “I’m gunna make you clap”. I can’t remember

the name of it but it comes on all the time and I’m driving in my car and I can’t not clap when it comes

on.

A: For the record if Karen gets into a wreck in the next the couple weeks we will know why.

K: I also love Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. That’s our song, Rick and I.

A: Favorite quote?

K: The serenity Prayer

A: Awesome. Do you have any pets?

K: Yes, I have two very spoiled Golden retrievers, and two very spoiled Siamese cats.

A: Awesome! Animal lover for sure.

K: Definitely, my passion is pigs.

A: Yeah?

K: Live and not, of course. I got over 200 little ceramic pigs, in my house.

A: Holy Cow, Um…

K: …my husband says that he’s going to get that many guns. For every pig that I get he’s going to get a

new gun. I think not.

A: For the record, the Krugers are Hoarders as well. Okay here’s one, if you could choose anyone as

your mentor, who would it be? Dead, they could be people who were historical figures, um anyone alive

today.

K: Help me out

A: K

K: Um first medical nurse in the army, long long time ago, Florence Nightingale.

A: Okay is that who it was?

K: Yes

A: Okay, so it’s definitely someone who has been a trailblazer in the profession that you are in. That’s

great to hear. If you could learn to do anything what would it be?

K: (No hesitation) Skydive.

A: Really?

K: Yeah.

A: Why?

K: That’s on my bucket list, I don’t know why, I just want to do it, just to say I did it.

A: Okay let me ask you, have you ever been up in an airplane?

K: Yes

A: A small airplane where they opened the door?

K: No

A: Okay, okay, so a lot of people think they want to skydive, then they get up there and it’s like “what

am I gunna do”

K: They might have to push me out, but I will go.

A: You’d do it.

K: Yeah.

A: What’s the hardest thing you ever done?

K: Lose my mother, that was the hardest season in my life. It was December 17th, a week before

Christmas, she was in the hospital, I didn’t even know she was in the hospital, she passed away before I

got there. So Christmas is not my favorite season, or holiday, but with my grandson being born this

year, Christmas was wonderful last year, so I’m hoping that that changes for me.

A: What do you do to stay healthy?

K: Laugh!

A: Nice!

K: Cause as you can see it’s not exercising.

A: Hey now come on, there’s other things like exactly what you just said.

K: Yup, I laugh a lot.

A: What is something that you’ve learned in the last week? Don’t think cosmic, think like, pick a lock

with a toothpick. Something simple.

K: Actually, what I’ve learned is, what’s the quote “this too shall pass.” Because the hard things will

pass, Eventually. And the sunshine is just around the corner.

A: if you could pick a superpower what would it be?

K: To be invisible.

A: Why?

K: Cause I want to see what other people are like…

A: …When nobody else is around…

K: Yeah, exactly!

A: Okay what is a recent show that you watched?

K: Grey’s Anatomy is my all-time favorite.

A: is it a good Dr. show?

K: Yeah!

A: Does it accurately portray the medical profession?

K: Nah

A: Okay, thank you for saying that, my wife, she can’t, she’s a nurse, she can’t watch medical shows

K: It’s fun to pick them out, Rick on the other hand is a cop, he watches all cop shows. And he constantly

comments, “well that’s not right.”

A: Nice, good, well that’s it.