Carol May (Blessing) Hollander 1935 - 2024

BLESSING, HOLLANDER, STEARNS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/17/2024 at 15:22:33

Sioux City Journal
20 August 2024

Overland Park, Kan., formerly Sioux City

Carol May (Blessing) Hollander, age 89, of Overland Park, and formerly of Sioux City, went to the call of her Savior on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at the Village Shalom Senior Living in Overland Park, following a brief illness. Her services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 at the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Sheldon, Iowa with Rev. Roger Madden ~ Officiating.

Burial will be in the East Lawn Cemetery in Sheldon, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be from 9 – 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 at the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Sheldon. The Service will be Livestreamed on the Eldridgefamilyfuneralhomes.com website.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to: Sioux City First United Methodist Church (www.siouxcityfirst.com) or the Iowa Dental Association (www.iowadental.org).

Condolences may be submitted online to https:// www.legacy.com/.

Arrangements are under the care of the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home – Sheldon, Iowa. Online condolences may be made to the Family at www.vanderploegfunerals.com.

Carol was born June 1, 1935 in Sheldon, to Victor S. and Grace P. (Stearns) Blessing. She grew up in Granville, Marcus, and Paullina Iowa.

Carol was taught by her Dad to be an experienced Linotype operator and had the burns on her arms to prove it! She worked with four different newspapers in her teen and young adult years.

Carol graduated from Paullina High School in 1953. She was the assistant editor of the school newsletter and yearbook. She was a cheerleader and played drums for the marching, concert and dance bands. She sang in the Glee Club, All State Chorus, and Madrigal. Carol wrote the lyrics to the Paullina High School fight song that was sung for more than 30 years.

In 1953, Carol attended Cornell College but later transferred to the University of Iowa where she majored in Home Economics. She met the love of her life, Dr. William Hollander while bowling with friends in Iowa City. They married on June 19, 1955. Carol then paused school to work and support William who would specialize in Periodontics.

They eventually settled in Sioux City and together raised three sons and a daughter. Carol worked in William’s office as the office manager and dental assistant. She was very active in the Alliance of the Iowa Dental Association (AIDA) and served as president, auditor and secretary for the N. West District Dental Society. Carol went on to serve as the Iowa State President for AIDA and as a National District Trustee of the Alliance of the American Dental Association. She also served as President of PEO, PTA, and the Sioux City Welcome Wagon.

She was a Cub Scout Den Mother/ Leader and a member of the Coterie Club. She volunteered at the First United Methodist Church as an usher, communion server and collections processer. Carol and William retired together in 2004. Carol and William were avid campers taking their kids on coast-to-coast vacations. She loved to make homemade cranberry bread and piccalilli.

Other hobbies included tennis, walking, fondue club, gourmet group and performing as a “tooth puppeteer” in schools to promote dental hygiene. In her later years, she was active in the Drama Club at her retirement community.

Survivors include her sons, William S. Hollander and wife, Marisa of Bartlesville, Okla.; Scott Hollander and wife, Joyce of Nampa, Idaho; Todd Hollander and wife, Theresa of Mandeville, La.; daughter, Vicki Rupp and husband, Peter of Overland Park; sisters, Becky (Don) Schmeckpeper of Ooltewah, Tenn. and Lynn (Ron) Anderson of Parker, Colo.; brothers-in-law, Ralph (Ruth) Hollander of Sun City West, Ariz. and Richard Hollander/Elaine Chard of Midwest City, Okla.

She is also survived by seven grandsons: Will, Ben, Blake, Steven, Spencer and Alex Hollander and Luke Rupp; four granddaughters, Sierra Hollander, Emily and Rachel Rupp, and Alayna Roe. She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. William R. Hollander; her parents and her brother, Don V. Blessing.