Karen Schreffler Bernstein died surrounded by friends and family on September 20, 2026 at the age of 86. Karen was born on November 14, 1939, in Eureka, Kansas, to Ethel (Brown) Schreffler and Roy Schreffler. She grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins in a small town where everyone knew one another. She remembered a happy childhood, riding her horse all around town. She had several horses over the years, and her love of riding stayed with her throughout her life. Even after one of her horses fell on her during a ride, seriously injuring her, Karen returned to riding and continued to ride that same horse until she was 81 years old.
Karen married and moved to Rockport, Massachusetts, where she had two children. In 1978, she moved to Flag, Arkansas and became the third employee of Stone Ironworks. Over the years, she served in nearly every role at the company, helping it grow into one of the county’s largest employers, with more than 200 employees. Karen was well loved and respected by the people who worked there, and her interest in them extended well beyond work. She always knew when an employee had a baby and could tell you the children’s names and birth months, often remembering the exact day.
