Caroline Evelyn Giesselmann

Caroline Giesselmann Life Story Caroline was born and raised on a farm on West Maple Street. She was the second youngest of five children. She went to school at District #58 at 156th and Maple. It was a one room school with around 40 pupils and one teacher for all eight grades. When vacation time came, we all enjoyed a picnic dinner along with games and recess. I was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church. After graduating from 8th grade I worked on the farm, helped with gardening and canning fruits and vegetables for the Winter supply. When I was 19 years old I went into Omaha and did housework in the Dundee area for a number of years. After that I worked at Bemis Bag Company in Omaha. While in Omaha I started dating Lyle Giesselmann who was working at the Omaha Laundry & Towel Supply. On December 7 we were together when we heard about Pearl Harbor. He knew then that he would be drafted. He served in the South Pacific for three years without a furlough. When the war was ended, he got home for Christmas, 1945, and we were married January 20, 1946. We lived in Omaha and had two sons, Duane and Darryl. Soon we thought best if we moved to the farm to raise our boys. They went to the country school and to Bennington High School. They also went to college in Seward and became Lutheran school teachers and principals, Duane in Missouri and Darryl in Minnesota. Both were married during their college years and both have two children. When we retired from farming we bought our retirement home in the Woodhaven Townhomes. Lyle drove Millard school buses for a number of years and I did lots of sewing. I made and quilted a quilt for each of our four grandchildren. We did take time to do lots of traveling. Lyle held many jobs in the school, church, and county. He died after a short illness and wanted me to go to Remington Heights to live because our sons were far away. Since 2003, I have lived in the Presbyterian Manor in Farmington, Missouri. After Dad died, Mom started using her given name, Caroline, instead of Carrie (Dad's nickname for her), because she said that was her name! Caroline passed away on Friday, December 9, 2011 at the Presbyterian Manor in Farmington, Missouri at the age of 93 years, 10 months and 23 days. She was preceded in death by her parents Frederick and Freda, husband Lyle, son Darryl, sister Wilma, and brothers Wilfred, Herbert, and Wallace. Caroline is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Duane and Connie Jo Giesselmann, daughter-in-law Betty Giesselmann, grandchildren Julie and Troy Herrmann; Mark, Gretchen, and Brenda Giesselmann. Great grandchildren Logan, Kylie, Kassi, TJ, and Reagan, and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Caroline Evelyn Giesselmann

January 16, 1918 - December 9, 2011