Resident Profile:
Karen Conrad

Karen Conrad was born in 1942, in Dubuque, Iowa, where she lived until the first grade. She has three sisters, Barbara, Kathryn, and Suzanne, and two brothers, Edward and Tim. Her father was drafted the in 1945, one day after Karen's youngest sister, Kathryn (known affectionately as "Kitsy") was born. Today Karen's extended family includes eight nephews and one niece, and three great-nephews and two great-nieces.

Karen's dad sold floor covering for a living, and that meant lots of travel for the Conrad family. As Karen tells it "We moved to Wisconsin, and before I got out of 8th grade, I lived in Watertown, Ixonia, Oconomowoc, Green Bay, and finally, back to Oconomowoc. All over Wisconsin!" Karen remained in Oconomowoc for 28 years after her family finally settled there. "I would call Oconomowoc home, more than anything." says Karen.

Karen attended Oconomowoc High School. In her free time she loved to go bowling, ice skating, or just hanging out chatting with friends. Two of her closest high school friends, Judy and Bonnie, live close by The Heritage and Karen still socializes with them to this day.

Karen's mother owned a yarn shop. Because her mother was a working woman, Karen also helped raise her brothers, who are ten and eleven years younger than her. "I usually had dinner in the oven before my mom got home from work." says Karen.

After graduating from High School, Karen went to work as comparison shopper for the Boston Store. Her job entailed pretending to be a customer in competitors' stores, such as Gimbel's and Schusters. She would monitor competitors' traffic flow, price point, appearance, etc., and report her findings back to her managers at the Boston Store.

During this period Karen lived at the St. Catherine's Home for Working Girls. She graduated from high school on June 8th, moved into St. Catherine's on June 10th, and began work the day she turned 18, on June 15th.

After six years at the Boston Store, Karen went to work for Carnation in Oconomowoc. She stayed at Carnation for 3 years, and then she took a job with the U.S. Postal Service. She started as a clerk in 1971 and 28 years later retired as the Post Master of East Troy.

Karen moved into The Heritage in July of 2004. She had watched it being built, and she knew the facility manager, Mary Ann Glowinski, personally. Karen enjoys her lifestyle at The Heritage: "I live the facility, the company of the other residents, the feeling of security, and the fact that I can have my dog, Sam. To me, the Heritage feels like a friendly, safe neighborhood." Karen also finds time to aid the surrounding community by working with St. Peter's Church, Meals on Wheels, and acting as the treasurer of the local food pantry.