Karen Bronson

Karen Sue Bronson lost her private battle with lung cancer December 27, 2022, at her home in Blue Ridge.

She was born August 21, 1961, in Mount Gilead, Ohio, and grew up in Fulton, Ohio.

She was the daughter of the late Berna Bronson and Myrtle Fisher Bronson.

Karen worked and had a very successful career at the Department of Commerce as a Program Analyst. She was very ambitious and highly motivated to make her move from southern Maryland to the Blue Ridge mountains in northern Georgia “to get that retired life started.”

On the third day of her and her husband’s (Troy Rifenberg) arrival to their retirement homestead, Karen found out she had Stage 4 lung cancer. Though troubled with bad news, she and Troy pushed forward and continued to carve out their country style life.

Karen had a heart for animals, rescuing as many as 50 dogs and cats, and sometimes having up to 15 animals in her household. She was known as the lady who rescued the “Mama Girl” dog in Newburg, Maryland. When Karen and Troy moved to Blue Ridge, they were able to bring five of those rescued dogs with them.

Karen was an avid adventurer. She enjoyed the waterways of the Potomac River. She loved combing the beaches for shark teeth, sea glass, and whatever else she could find in her hunts. She always enjoyed being out on the boat or jet skis and loved swimming with her dogs. Along with other water sports, she found solace in fishing and trot lining for blue crabs. She loved the challenge of physical exertion. She was an avid cyclist, enjoyed training dogs, and ran in marathons. She also was an expert mushroom forager and could recognize the proper type of forest a morel mushroom would be present in, sometimes just by the smell; a skill she learned from her mother.

As Karen’s illness grew worse, she still sought peace in the outdoors. She maintained a garden, a dozen chickens, and large yard. Along with that, she still managed to walk their five dogs on the nature trails at her home daily.

Even through the trials of her terminal disease, Karen kept her spirits high and faith in Jesus.

She valiantly persevered through a long 26-month battle for the loved ones she did not want to leave behind. Those include her husband, Troy Jon Rifenberg; children, Dustin Moodispaugh of Newnan, Georgia and Jessica Rifenberg of Trappe, Maryland; siblings, Barb Bronson of Fulton, Ohio, Evelyn (Patrick) Sullivan of Summerduck, Virginia, Bernie (Michelle) Bronson of Fulton, Ohio, and Teresa (Billy) Lanum of Cardington, Ohio. She also leaves behind a host of other family members and friends.

In lieu of flowers, Karen would prefer memorial contributions be made to the Valley River Humane Society Animal Shelter in Marble, North Carolina, at P.O. Box 658, Murphy, North Carolina, 28906, or online at www.valleyriverhumanesociety.org/donate.

A celebration of Karen’s life will be held at a later date at her home in Mineral Bluff.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.akinscobb.com.

Akins-Cobb Funerals & Cremations of Blue Ridge was in charge of arrangements.