Our friend since freshman year touched the lives of many people during her four years at Muhlenberg and throughout her life, so we established a fund to support biology student research in her memory.
By Leslie Malone Douwes ’72 and Lynn Shanahan Pombonyo ’72
In the fall of 1968, we were part of a new first-year class at Muhlenberg. Walz Hall at that time was a three-story women’s dorm, and we found our first college home there. One of us was Karen Kreamer, a biology major from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. We went on to form ties over the next four years that remain strong today. Maybe it was simply the unique nature of living in a dorm. Maybe it was the (mostly harmless) practical jokes. Maybe it was trying to decipher handwritten class notes and typing papers on typewriters. Maybe it was having to share the pay phone down the hall. Or maybe it was some special chemistry. Whatever it was, it stuck.
After graduation, we all got busy living our lives — starting careers, getting married, having babies. Karen married Karl Parks ’73 and had three sons, five grandchildren, a long happy marriage, and a rewarding career, starting as a biology teacher and ending as deputy superintendent of schools in Fairfield, Connecticut.
And yes, some of those busy years flew by with no more than a birthday card or a Christmas greeting among us.
The Great Girlfriend Reunion in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Parks is second from the right in the back row.
But in 2010, the year we turned 60, the Great Girlfriend Reunion, brainchild of our own Gail MacIntyre, took place in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Fifteen of us reunited, and even though 40 years had passed since some of us had seen each other, it felt pretty much the same as it had sitting in the halls of Walz, talking, laughing, and reminiscing late into the night.
That weekend was a catalyst that re-invigorated our connections. Since then, we’ve come together frequently in places like Cape May Point, New Jersey; Hyde Park, New York; Newport, Rhode Island; Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; and Acadia, Maine. When COVID hit, we chose different motifs (colors, flowers) and shared meaningful photos as a way to stay connected. We started the Berg Book Babes, a monthly Zoom book chat that continues today.
“Even though 40 years had passed since some of us had seen each other, it felt pretty much the same as it had sitting in the halls of Walz, talking, laughing, and reminiscing late into the night.”
On April 30, 2025, Karen Kreamer Parks died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. We are all heartbroken and shocked, especially because Karen was one of the most active and healthiest members of this now aging group. Zoom calls became a forum to discuss how to honor Karen’s memory. Since Karen was a summa cum laude biology graduate and an educator with a lifelong love of science, the most appropriate thing seemed obvious: Start a fund at Muhlenberg that would go towards student research in the Department of Biology. When we discussed it with the department and the Office of Advancement, they enthusiastically affirmed our idea.
“Karen touched the lives of many people during her four years at Muhlenberg and throughout her life. If you are one of them, we invite you to contribute to honor her memory.”
Karen touched the lives of many people during her four years at Muhlenberg and throughout her life. If you are one of them, we invite you to contribute to honor her memory. Here’s how:
Founder and owner of Dogwood Entertainment, Ally Marman Mueller ’05, a political science major, produces custom props for film, television, and live events.
