Karen D. Cruzan

Karen D. Cruzan, 67, of Libby died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 at the Libby Care Center from natural causes.

She was born Dec. 21, 1941 in Garden City, Kan., to Ralph and Elizabeth Ruff Leonard. She grew up and attended school in Garden City and graduated from Garden City High School in 1960. She then moved to Oklahoma where she attended Oklahoma Panhandle University for two years.

She then went to Amarillo, Texas where she attended Amarillo College and became a licensed professional nurse. On June 27, 1970 she married Don Cruzan in Amarillo.

Mrs. Cruzan played the Cordavox and produced two albums. She also played with the Blackwood Brothers for a while.

In 1973, she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where she worked as a nurse for the Fairbanks Alaska Hospital. In 1979, she moved to Oklahoma where attended graduate school and also worked at the local nursing home. She moved to Libby in 1999.

Mrs. Cruzan loved to study and read her books, study Hebrew, and play and listen to music. Her greatest treasure was her friends.

Survivors include her husband Don Cruzan of Libby; sons, David Cruzan and his fiancé Chelsea of Libby; and Daniel Cruzan of Libby; and a brother, Dana Leonard and wife Marie of Kansas City.

Services will be Wednesday Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Libby. Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. on Tuesday.