Karen Brown is Treasurer of the Jeff Hill Legacy Fund and is retired from US Bank Home Mortgage.

Karen was born and raised in central Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  She married her high school sweetheart in 1973 at the tender age of 20 and they will be celebrating 50 years of marriage in 2023. She and her husband, Ron, spent 3 years at Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines and 16 months in San Diego when he was on active duty with the Navy. In subsequent years they lived in various states as a result of Ron’s transfers with his job (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and finally back to Minnesota). She and Ron made one last move in 2020 to a home in the country just outside of Zimmerman, MN. They are approximately 20 minutes from their daughter, Rachael Hill, and grandsons, TJ and Tyler Hill. They also have another daughter, Kristina, and two more grandchildren, Carter and Charley, who live in the Fargo area.

Karen met Jeff in 1998 when he flew to Fargo, ND for the wedding of Rachael’s sister, Kristina. She had heard so much about this great young man that clearly had stolen Rachael’s heart, and she found out for herself that he was indeed a remarkable person. She and Ron took many trips to the places where Rachael and Jeff were stationed and have very fond memories of Alaska and Mississippi. Ron especially enjoyed all the outdoor activities with Jeff – hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, and snowmobiling. Karen’s new location provides her the opportunity to see Rachael frequently and attend TJ and Tyler’s many sporting events. Karen has assisted in the JHLF MN Beer Tasting and Silent Auction events for the past few years and is happy to show her commitment to keeping Jeff’s legacy alive with her place on the Board.