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Carole Rose Wilson
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CopyCarole Rose Wilson, 64, died in Sioux Falls, SD on September 13, 2009 after having recently moved "home" from Austin, Texas.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 am on Friday, September 18, 2009 at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Wilno with Father Paul Schumacher as celebrant. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, September 17 at Birk Funeral Home in Ivanhoe with a prayer service at 8 p.m. and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. For online condolences, please visit our website at www.birkfuneralhome.com.
Carole was born on December 19, 1944 in Hendricks, MN, the eldest daughter of Vernon and Loretta Jerzak and grew up on the Jerzak family farm in Ivanhoe, MN. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1962 and attended St. Cloud University in St. Cloud, MN where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. After graduation, she worked for the Hartford Insurance Company in Hartford, CT where she met and married Steve Wilson in December, 1968. They joined the US Air Force that same year. The next 25 years took Carole on assignments in San Antonio, TX, Del Rio, TX, Hampton, VA (where their daughter Stephanie was born), CCK Air Base in Taiwan, Little Rock, ARK (where she earned her BSN in Nursing from the University of Central Arkansas), Scott AFB in IL, Anchorage AK, and lastly to Charleston, SC.
While those assignments were driven by Steve's service in the Air Force, make no mistake, Carole was in the military too. She served proudly by volunteering her time to help with the health and well being of the troops and their wives. Given the instability of the average military family and the separations caused by war and deployments, that was no easy task. She indeed provided great comfort, guidance, direction and love to untold number of young people throughout, and often did it alone, behind the scenes, willingly, without complaint and a great deal of care and passion. After their retirement from the Air Force, she and Steve moved to Huntington Beach, California where she continued to provide for others. True to form, she provided leadership and guidance to families that worked with her husband at the Boeing Company, but found that she could provide the greatest measure of good as a home health nurse. She found great satisfaction treating patients one on one in their homes rather than in an institution. In truth, it takes a strong, gutsy lady to do that and she did it very, very well.
After retirement from nursing, she took up golf, enjoyed many a novel, spent time with her daughter and family in Austin, Texas, took a solo trip to England, and taught herself how to sleep in on weekends and enjoy each day to the fullest. Raised on a farm, she believed in hard work, a good attitude, and when necessary was tough as nails. If you ever had the privilege of dining at her home, you know that Carole was an expert, gourmet cook and a gracious host. As with all obstacles she overcame in life, Carole faced her death head on with great courage, strength and compassion. She will undoubtedly be remembered as a spunky, headstrong, intelligent, kind, gentle, selfless daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend. She will be missed tremendously by her family and everyone whose life she touched.
Carole is lovingly remembered by her father, Vernon Jerzak; aunt, Shirley Holden; aunt Alice Steffes; sister, Gail Balzer; brother-in-law, Ed Balzer, two daughters, Kim Ferraro and Stephanie Wilson; two granddaughters, Andrea and Alexandra Kalasountas, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her Mother, Loretta Steffes Jerzak.
Blessed be his memory.
Copyright 2009 Ivanhoe Times, Ivanhoe, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2009 Ivanhoe Times Ivanhoe, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
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