Karen Greene Bidwell, 81, a resident of the Forest Grove community, passed away Saturday morning, March 9, 2024 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland.

 In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations can be made to Meals on Wheels or the Banks High School Alumni Scholarship Fund.

Karen was born in Forest Grove, Oregon, and was the daughter of Louis Spiering and Ethel (Heesacker) Spiering. She was raised on the family farm and received her education in the Roy community where she attended St. Francis School. Upon graduating from Banks High School Karen attended the University of Portland, receiving a bachelor’s degree in education. Karen would go on to become a Language Arts teacher and taught for 30 years in the Hillsboro school district, finishing her career at Evergreen Junior High.

She was united in marriage to Ronald Edward Meeuwsen in 1963. Once married they resided in the Hillsboro community and later in Tualatin. During that time they had two children, Keith and Kurt. They divorced in August of 1973 with Ron passing away on April 24, 2009.

On November 28, 1975, Karen married Alan Barry Greene in Reno, Nevada. Following their marriage they made their home in the Banks community, close to her family and where both Karen and Alan had grown up. Together they had a son, Michael and shared many trips to the coast, Reno and other fun destinations. Alan brought a son into the marriage, Kevin who became integrated into the family and a cherished fourth son to Karen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alan, on July 22,2004, after celebrating over twenty-eight years of marriage together.

The years between Alan and Royal were spent with her friends going on all kinds of fun road trips. You never really knew where Karen would end up, but she loved getting in the car and going. It was also during this time that she moved from the fields of Banks into Cornelius. She really loved the new house she bought and how inviting it was when she would host family events, especially Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

Finally, Karen married Royal Norman Bidwell on April 27, 2019 in Forest Grove, Oregon. Following their marriage they moved to the Forest Grove community, where they have resided since.

They celebrated their 4 th Wedding Anniversary this past April. The years with Royal were a blessing. She was not sure she would ever find someone else to share the rest of her life with, and once she started the relationship with Royal she was like a kid again, and it was quite a romance.

Karen had been a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Roy; Visitation Parish in Verboort and more recently Sonrise Church in Hillsboro. Faith was very important to her and she loved going to church. She especially liked the great sermons and singing that she found where she attended.

She enjoyed her monthly coffee meetings with her women’s group and was proud of her work with Meals on Wheels. Royal would say there was not a person she did not like and went out of her way to be friendly and welcoming to everyone and anyone.

Among her special interests, Karen enjoyed playing games with friends, visiting the Oregon coast and traveling. She was known for her competitive spirit in card games and did not like to lose! She also was extremely proud of her children, grandchildren and her one great grandchild. They were all her favorites.

Survivors include, Keith and Darla Meeuwsen, of Scappoose, Oregon; Kurt and Laura Meeuwsen, of Tigard, Oregon; Kevin Elder, of Hillsboro, Oregon and Michael and Danika Greene, of Banks, Oregon; her sister, Lois Gifford and her brother-in-law, Verl Mangum, of Forest Grove, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her sister Marlene and her daughter in law Linda.

Also surviving are twelve grandchildren; one great-grandson and several nieces and nephews.

To sign the online guest book or to send a condolence to the family go to www.fuitenrosehoyt.com.

Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home in Forest Grove is entrusted with the arrangements.