Karen L. Kumpf

Karen Lee Brown Kumpf, devoted wife and mother, trend setting music educator, and faithful servant to others, best known locally as the founder of Harvest of Hope, died peacefully at her home, Tuesday, June 9, at age 83. She was born February 19, 1943, to Franklin and Esther Brown in Zanesville, Ohio and grew up in Cambridge, Ohio before moving to Cincinnati where she graduated from Woodward High School and the College-Conservatory of Music.

On August 6, 1966, she married Karl Kumpf. She enjoyed being a pastor’s wife for almost 60 years, constantly enriching their shared ministry. Together they raised two amazing children, Kristin (Mrs. Michael Barr), now of Richmond, Virginia, and Kenn, now of Chicago, Illinois. Her children were the center of Karen’s life, and nothing delighted her more than spending time with them, nurturing them, and watching them grow.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Gary and Gene.

After caring for her family, one of the greatest joys of Karen’s life was teaching music to children. She was an innovative and creative teacher, often spending her summers at advanced teaching seminars, such as teaching music through movement. She taught private piano lessons and was an elementary school music teacher in Cincinnati; Hanover Township, New Jersey; and Brookville, Ohio; and was the music teacher at Putnam Elementary School in Devola from 1989 to 1997, where she formed and directed the first elementary school choir. She founded and for several years directed a state-wide choir camp for children’s church choirs and their directors. After her retirement from Putnam, she continued to volunteer as a music teacher at Ewing School, the Head Start program, and her church’s After School enrichment program, and served as an accompanist for many middle and high school students at their contests. She also was the music director and pianist for productions on the showboat Becky Thatcher and wrote the music for two of their melodramas. Her many contributions to arts in the mid-Ohio valley were recognized in 2004 by a special award from Artsbridge and in 2009 by an “Outstanding Education Volunteer” award from Marietta College.

Karen’s Christian faith was central to her life. Nothing could interrupt her daily Bible reading, devotions, and journaling. She was very active in Christ United Methodist Church; she received special recognition for work with the women’s group, led the church’s mission committee, and was instrumental in expanding the Vacation Bible School program and beginning the After School enrichment program. She sang in the choir for many years and organized and directed the church’s first praise team.

Karen always had a caring heart for people in need. After volunteering at the Community Food Pantry following the floods of 2004 and 2005, Karen began acting on a call to ministry she had been sensing for 20 years. She gathered a group of volunteers who went to grocery stores, restaurants, farm stands and other food service places, collected good food that was going to be thrown away, and delivered it to food pantries and other feeding programs. Within the next few years, she organized a non-profit agency called Washington County Harvest of Hope, gained tax-exempt status, raised over $40,000 to buy a refrigerated truck to collect the food, and recruited and trained more than 100 volunteers. She also organized the food pantries in Washington County to work together on common needs, began a free community gardening program that included eight gardens from New Matamoras to Belpre, and helped several churches begin free meals in a coordinated way that spread the meals through the month. Karen served as the Executive Director of Harvest of Hope for 10 years before her retirement in 2016. The organization remains vital and alive today, having collected over two million pounds of food that they deliver to agencies that serve people in need.

In 2008 Karen was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Pioneer Ladies Civitan Club. In 2009 she received the ZONTA Woman of the Year award at the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner. In 2020 the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio awarded Karen their Jenco Award for “visionary leaders” who “have worked to increase the dignity and sense of worth of individuals in Appalachian Ohio”.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Karen’s life at Christ United Methodist Church, 301 Wooster Street in Marietta on Saturday, June 13 at 11:00 am. The family will be available to greet friends from 10 to 11 and after the service with some light refreshments.

Memorial contributions can be made to Washington County Harvest of Hope, PO Box 902, Marietta, Ohio 4750, or Christ United Methodist Church, 301 Wooster St. Marietta, OH 45750.

Cawley & Peoples is honored to assist Karen’s family with cremation arrangements and offers online condolences by visiting their website, www.CawleyandPeoples.com or by following their Facebook page.