MCLAUGHLIN, Carol (nee Johnson) 1937-2004

MCLAUGHLIN, JOHNSON, PARKER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/20/2009 at 18:04:27

BELMOND, IOWA — Carol R. McLaughlin, 67, a resident of Belmond, Iowa, died Tuesday (Oct. 26, 2004) at the Belmond Medical Center, Belmond, with her husband at her side.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 304 Third Ave. N.E., Belmond. The Rev. Rod Hopp will he officiating. Burial will be in the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cemetery, Belmond.

Visitation will be Friday from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Tenold-Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First Street S.E., Belmond, and continue one hour prior to the service at the church Saturday.

Carol Johnson was born April 29, 1937, in Carpenter, the daughter of Clarence Alvin and Ruth Verda (Parker) Johnson. She attended Rock Creek country school for a time and then Osage schools, graduating in 1955.

She was united in marriage to Alfred George McLaughlin, Aug. 8, 1959, at Holy Family Catholic Church, Mason City. Their union recently celebrated 45 years and was blessed by seven children, Terrance, Lori, Kevin, Angela, Michelle, Elizabeth and Susan.

Following their marriage, Carol and Al lived for a time in Belmond. They spent time living in Hampton before making their home in Grinnell. In 1973, they returned to Alfred’s parents’ farm in rural Belmond, where they farmed until moving to their present home in Belmond in 1983.

Throughout her life, Carol had put the needs of others before her own. She was a devoted wife and life partner to Al. Her passion was her family and nurturing her children throughout her life. They will remember her teaching them her values, her love of music, and the importance of education, something she believed in strongly, motivating her to attend business school at Hamilton College, Mason City, graduating in 1981. Following college, Carol was employed by the State of Iowa Division of Soil Conservation from 1981-2002.

Carol was a dedicated and loving mother and grandmother who truly cherished any opportunity to be a spectator at any activity they were involved with in their lives, whether they were a part of a sporting event, band, or chorus concert, or any other extra-curricular activity, Carol was there as their No. 1 cheerleader.

Carol looked forward to family gatherings and re-unions and opportunities to get together with her siblings. She and Al looked forward to taking their children on annual summer vacations during their school years. After the children moved away, Al and Carol loved to visit their children’s homes throughout the country and state. Family holidays were often times spent at the children’s homes and in recent years Thanksgiving took place in Colorado. They had taken a special trip to Hawaii two years ago which was initiated by their children. The couple had also traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Olympics and to Delaware.

Her devotion to her faith was shown by her membership at Trinity Lutheran Church, Belmond, where she had served in many roles including president of the church council, Sunday school teacher, the Mary Circle, and the recently completed Visionary Task Force. Carol had shown the same concern for her community. It was demonstrated through her many years of involvement with the Belmond Hospital Auxiliary and her many years of involvement as a Wright County Soil Commissioner. She had served for a time as president of the Culture Club in Belmond. She had been a dedicated volunteer at the Belmond Health Care Center. She enjoyed visiting the nursing home and making crafts for friends.

Carol’s concern for the land and conservation continued with her and her husband’s duties in traveling around the countryside delivering seed drills to many farmers. She had earned numerous awards for her conservation work.

Carol was an avid sports fan during her lifetime. She had been a league bowler for many years in the Belmond Bowling Association, vice president of the Happy Eight Bowling League, a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and enjoyed high school athletics.

Carol was a strong and faithful person whose perseverance kept her on the path to recovery following a terrible automobile accident.

Those left to cherish the memory of her life include her husband and life partner of more than 45 years, Alfred McLaughlin, Belmond; her sons, Terrance and wife, Linda, Des Moines, and Kevin McLaughlin, Rochester, Minn.; her daughters, Lori and husband, Allen, Corwith, Angela Rasmussen and husband, James, Evergreen, Colo., Michelle Schaeffer and husband Bryon, Ankeny, Elizabeth Engberg and husband, Allen, Puyallup, Wash., and Susan McLaughlin, Algona; her sister-in-law, Marge Johnson, brothers, Charles and wife, Betty, Harley and wife, Clarissa, Ivan and wife, Kathy, all of Osage, her sister-in-law, Frances Johnson, Osage; and her sister, Eleanor Schallock, Osage, brother-in-law, Lowell Olsen, Osage; sisters, Mildred Sponheim and husband, Norman, Nora Springs, and Sharon Boyce and husband, James, Roseville, Minn.; 11 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Dale and Kenneth Johnson; two sisters, Margaret Olsen, and Florence Borcherding; two infant sisters; and a brother-in-law, Alvy Borcherding.

Tenold-Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond, (641) 444-4474.

[Globe Gazette]