Karen Romero

Karen Jensen Romero was born June 2, 1940, in Safford, Arizona, to Sam and Minnie Rae Carnes Jensen, theninth of ten children. She grew up in Safford where she attended elementary school and high school.  

She married Allen Douglas Wiggins in 1956. They had four children - three sons - Michael, Darryl, and Gregory, and one daughter - Nelda. In 1977 she and Allen were divorced. 

She met Harold Romero in 1980, in Rolla, Missouri. They were married in the St. George Utah LDS temple on January 9, 1981.  

Karen was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served in a variety of callings over the years. With her husband Harold, she served a mission for the church in the Lubbock, Texas mission, with the assignment to preserve genealogical records for the Family History department. She also worked extracting more family history records, first from microfilm and then online. She was President of both the Young Women's organization and the Relief Society, both at the stake and the ward level. She was a teacher and music director in the Primary organization and taught the youth in seminary. She served as a temple ordinance worker for over twenty years, both in the Atlanta, Georgia and the Birmingham, Alabama temples.  

By nature, Karen was very outgoing and loved being with people, and they loved being around her. She was diligent in seeking to help anyone that was in need and was willing to share whatever she had with others. Karen loved her family. She always found time to travel to see her children's families and never missed a Jensen family reunion. She always had a sweet word to say and made you feel special and loved. Her youngest son Greg would always say he was his mom's favorite, but in reality everyone felt this way with Karen. 

Working with her hands was something she truly enjoyed. She was an excellent cook and liked to try new recipes, although she was famous for some of her tried and true favorites. She was an accomplished quilter, and many of the quilts she made she gave away to children and grandchildren. She liked to paint all kinds of subjects – portraits, still life, landscape, etc., and could crochet almost anything if she saw a sample. 

She was able to overcome cancer, living for an additional twenty-five years after her treatments. She seldom was troubled by physical ailments until the last couple of years when she began to develop some dementia, with symptoms that gradually became worse. After a fall and some other complications she was admitted to the hospital just before Christmas 2023 where she stayed for three weeks. She then went to a rehab facility where she passed away peacefully on January 27, 2024. 

Karen is survived by her husband, Harold Victor Romero; three sons, Michael Alan Wiggins of Ardmore, Alabama, Darryl Wayne Wiggins (Jacqueline) of New Harmony, Utah, and Gregory Wiggins (Linda) of Pleasant Grove, Utah; a daughter, Nelda Lynn Hoggan (Karlan) of Anchorage, Alaska; and two brothers, Gordon Keith Jensen of Payson, Arizona and Samuel C Jensen of Phoenix, Arizona. She has 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. 

A memorial service for Karen was held Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building, 2110 Byrd Springs Rd, Huntsville, Alabama 35802. 

There will be a funeral service on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at 11am at the McDougal's Caldwell Funeral Home, 112 East Main St, Safford, AZ 85546, following which there will be a simple graveside service at the cemetery.

Arrangements are being taken care of by McDougal’s Caldwell funeral chapel located at 112 E. Main St., Safford, AZ 85546. 

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