Karen Elizabeth Bauer passed away at the age of 72 in her home in Mineola, TX, on February 10, 2026, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Karen was born on July 21, 1953, in Dallas, the daughter of George M. and Cecily (Randall) Bauer.

Karen was awarded the British Horse Society's "Horsemasters" Certification at Moat House Equestrian Center, Benenden, Kent, England.  She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a B.A. in Photojournalism.

Following graduation, Karen embarked on a 30-plus-year career as a horse trainer, groomer, riding instructor, and barn manager in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona.  She retrained and showed ex-racing quarter horses to sell as hunter/jumper or English pleasure horses and trained unbroken fillies and colts through show ring competition.  She broke colts to prepare for training as cutting horses.  She was a groom and assistant rider for Pre-Green Hunters through Grand Prix Jumpers in training with a former member of the U.S. Equestrian Team – a member of the U.S. Nations Cup gold medal team in Aachen, Germany.  She also managed a private barn for a nationally ranked amateur owner rider. 

Karen owned and operated "Lost Lakes Farm", an 18-stall private boarding and sales facility below the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, AZ, where she gave riding lessons and supervised schooling of the boarders' horses at no charge.  Additionally, she worked as a bank teller, general office manager, bookkeeper, and managed her own rental properties.

Karen's hobbies were showing hunter jumpers in Amateur divisions, tennis, cycling, gardening, and painting.

Karen was preceded in death by her parents and by a brother, Steven Bauer.

Surviving are her sisters, Ann Bauer of Magdalena, NM, Joyce Avery and her husband William of Smithville, and her nephews Matthew Avery of Smithville and Michael Avery and his wife Karen Proft of Live Oak.

She will be sorely missed by all who knew her, including her four-legged friends.

A celebration of Karen's life will be held at 908 County Road 2351, Mineola, TX 75773, on March 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

Contributions may be made in her name to Hooker Ranch Equine Refuge, 5661 N FM 2869, Winnsboro, TX 75494, or Remember Me Rescue, 4100 Conveyor Drive, Burleson, TX 76028