Retail Dietitian Passes Away

Onetime retail dietitian Kara Ungerman died Aug. 4 from complications related to the birth of her only child, Oliver Nolan Ungerman. She was 40.

Born in 1983 in Wray, Colo., Ungerman grew up on her family’s farm in Benkelman, Neb., and participated in 4-H. Her passion for food and nutrition was apparent early on, and she pursued that passion while attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, from which she graduated with a B.S. in dietetics. Following college, she worked as an intern at the Yale Medical Center; at the New York Beef Council; as a dietitian with Hy-Vee in Marion, Iowa; as a corporate dietitian and director of brand strategy at Schnucks, in St. Louis; and as VP of nutrition health and wellness transformation at the National Pork Board, in Des Moines.

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Survivors include her son, Oliver, and husband, Andy, as well as her parents, Ted and Maureen Behlke; her brothers and their families; and her husband’s parents and siblings.

A visitation will be held on Friday, Aug. 11 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home at 8201 Hickman Road in Urbandale, Iowa, and a funeral service will take place Saturday, Aug. 12 at 11:00 a.m. with a visitation starting at 9:00 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 8301 NW Aurora Avenue, Urbandale. Ungerman will be interred at the cemetery in her hometown of Benkelman. In lieu of flowers, the family plans to organize a memorial that will be determined at a later date. Those who wish to help Andy and Oliver can visit a GoFundMe page that has been set up for them.