Iowa Court Reporters Association

Karen is an official court reporter for District Court Judge Fae Hoover-Grinde in the Sixth Judicial District. Karen lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband, Bob, and son Jon, who is a part-time student at Kirkwood Community College. Son Alex resides in Ames, and is a full-time student at Iowa State University.

Born and raised in Des Moines, Karen transitioned from East High School to the court reporting program at the American Institute of Business, graduating in 1975. While in reporting school, she worked at Joseph’s Jewelers at Merle Hay Mall.

After graduation from AIB, Karen’s first full-time reporting position was with Finkun Court Reporters in Cleveland, Ohio, as a freelance reporter. In January 1976, Karen was offered a job at the Polk County Courthouse and, homesick for friends and family in Des Moines, left Cleveland and returned home to Iowa. Karen worked at the Polk County Courthouse for two years, leaving to freelance at Launspach & Kiel, Inc., in Des Moines. Karen became a partner at Launspach & Kiel, but left that position when she moved to Cedar Rapids upon marriage to Assistant United States Attorney Bob Teig. In late 1982, a position became available and Karen was hired by District Court Judge August F. Honsell in Cedar Rapids. After the birth of Karen and Bob’s first child, Karen left Judge Honsell’s employment to freelance part-time, later becoming an employee of Kool & Nygren, Inc. Her children were in middle school and high school when a position became available with Judge Remley in 1998. Karen was happily employed by Judge Remley for nine years, and started her new position with Judge Hoover-Grinde in May of 2007.