Obit: Ayers, Carol Jean (1934 – 2017)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Ayers, Thompson, Skar, Jacoby, Henning

Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, WI) 12 Jan 2017

Ayers, Carol Jean (23 FEB 1934 – 6 JAN 2017)

Carol Ayers died on January 6, 2017 of heart and kidney failure. She was 82 years old.

Carol Jean (Thompson) Ayers was born February 23, 1934, one of seven children raised in Neillsville by Forest and Isabelle (Skar) Thompson. Growing up during World War II, Carol was part of the gang of neighborhood kids who formed the 32nd Division of 9th Street and played army among the rocks of O'Neill Creek. At eight years old, she was formally inducted into their Nurses Corps and "tended the wounded" with tiny doses of brown sugar - a rare and rationed item in that era.

In high school, Carol learned Latin, played French horn, and graduated valedictorian in 1952. She became a registered nurse and began her career at Luther Hospital in Eau Claire. In 1956, Carol married Donald Ayers, a childhood friend and neighbor from East 9th Street. They raised 3 children. As the family grew and moved, she continued her vocation in Tomah, Superior, Spooner, and Neillsville. She was a compassionate nurse and loyal care-giver, dedicating over a decade to care for her own aging parents later in life back on East 9th Street.

Carol is survived by 3 children all living in Alaska: James, Jean and Darrel; 2 grandchildren: Patrick in Athens, Georgia, and Tiffany in Fairbanks, Alaska; and one great-granddaughter, Anya, in Fairbanks, Alaska. She is also survived by two sisters and a brother: Dorothy Jacoby, Marie Henning, and Glenn Thompson, all of Neillsville, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Forest and Isabelle, and three brothers: Norman Thompson (Neillsville); Charles Thompson (Eau Claire); and Phillip Thompson (Rockford, IL).

Carol was a kind, generous, and gentle spirit with a fierce faith. She was devoted to family, friends and God, and her home was open to all: the dining room bursting with people sipping coffee, playing cards, dice, or board games. She enjoyed reading, bird-watching, singing, gardening, crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Carol exemplified the qualities of the "Greatest Generation" - integrity, strength of character, can-do, make-do attitude, and humor and compassion in the face of adversity. She will be dearly missed.

Services will be held on January 13, 2017 at 11 AM in the Bible Baptist church in Neillsville. A marker and ashes will be placed in Columbia Cemetery in summer or fall. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Heart Association , Disabled American Vets , or the Clark County Humane Society.

 

 


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