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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