Age 55, passed away on Monday morning, May 24, 2022, following a lingering illness. Karen was born in Battle Creek, on April 3, 1967, the daughter of Raymond and Heidi (Schmehl) Stafford. On December 31, 1994, she married Michael Kissel who survives her. Karen was an avid gardener. She enjoyed working on making her home nice. She loved animals. Karen worked as a hair stylist in the area and was known by her clients as a caring and kind person. She was a great cook and loved entertaining and sharing food and drink with the people she loved. Nothing was more important to her than her family and she would do anything for them. Besides her husband, Karen is survived by her son, Parker (Alex Parr) Kissel of Kalamazoo; her mother, Heidi Stafford of Kalamazoo; sister, Lisa (Keith) Langdon; mother-in-law, Diana Kissel; brothers-in-law, Rod Kissel, Brad Kissel; several nieces and nephews; and countless friends, including her BFF’s, Carla Moran, Heather Gould and Sara Gonzales. She was preceded in death by her father and her grandparents.