Date of Birth
January 18th, 1983
Date of Death
August 4, 2023
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
Who She Was
Her Story
Kara Elizabeth (Behlke) Ungerman passed away due to complications after giving birth to her firstborn child, Oliver Nolan Ungerman on Friday August 4th, 2023. Before she passed, Kara and her loving, devoted husband, Andy Ungerman were able to share this miraculous moment.
Kara was born on January 18th, 1983, in Wray, Colorado. She was baptized and confirmed in the United Methodist Church. She loved growing up on the family farm in Benkelman, NE, and participated in 4-H. Her passion for food and nutrition was apparent early on. She received her Girl Scout Gold Award, was active in FFA, FBLA, National Honor Society, and participated in band, basketball, volleyball, and track. She graduated as Salutatorian from Dundy County High School in 2001. She was also a devout Christian and member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Urbandale.
Kara pursued her passion for all things nutritious and delicious while attending University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she graduated with a B.S. in Dietetics and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. Kara’s dedicated pursuit of this career continued as an intern at the Yale Medical Center; working for the New York Beef Council; as a dietitian with Hy-Vee in Marion, Iowa; Corporate Dietitian and Director of Brand Strategy at Schnucks in St. Louis; and Vice President of Nutrition Health & Wellness Transformation at the National Pork Board in Des Moines, IA.
To list everyone she touched would take pages and pages. Kara was selfless and kind and made you feel like the most important person in the room. Kara was full of life; she could make anyone smile and laugh with her quick wit. She was always ready to have fun, and her love of life could make any moment the best moment ever.
Her passion and zest for life, without doubt, has been passed on to Oliver. Kara’s spirit will be with us forever, especially with Andy and their beautiful boy.
Kara is survived by her husband Andy and son, Oliver; her parents Ted and Maureen Behlke; brother Eric (Carrie) Behlke and their kids Hoxie and Cordelia; brother Nathan (Allie) Behlke and their kids Bryndle, Beckham, Bensyn, and Baylor. Her husband’s parents and siblings: Harvey and Verna Ungerman; sister Lori (Mark) Bransford and their kids Lizzy, Emma, Phillip, Eddie; sister Kelly (Roger) Humburg, and their kids Abby, Claire, Lindsay; brother Michael (Annie) and their kids Adeline, Jillian, Calvin.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents; Ted and Verle Behlke, Erwin and Loretta Fuerniss, and her uncle Stephen Fuerniss.