ELLINWOOD — Karen Elaine (Thacker) Proffitt, 77, passed away July 15, 2026 surrounded by loved ones at Ellinwood District Hospital in Ellinwood, Kan. Born in Anadarko, Okla. on Nov. 12, 1948, she was the daughter of Harold and Annie Jo (Jordan) Thacker. She grew up in Oklahoma graduating from Eisenhower High School, Lawton, Okla. Karen was an Ellinwood resident since 1989 formerly of Sterling. She married Cap Proffitt in 1969, they later divorced. Karen worked for the Dodge City Daily Globe, Barton County Feeders, 10th Street Eyecare, and Southwind Drilling before retirement in 2020.