Carol M. Carlson

Carol Mae Carlson (Ranke), age 91 of Appleton, WI passed away on September 20, 2026. She was born in Burlington, WI to Walter Ranke and Pearl (Schubel) Ranke Krueger. Her father passed away two months before she was born. She grew up in Waterford, WI and graduated from Waterford High School. Following graduation, she worked at Northwestern Mutual Life Ins. Co. in Milwaukee.

She married Dale Carlson on December 20, 1952 in Waterford. They had three daughters together and were blessed with over 58 years together until his death in 2011. They moved to Eau Claire, WI in 1957 and then to Appleton in 1961. Carol went to work at Appleton East H.S. as secretary in the guidance office when it opened in 1967 and retired in 1993. She was a long time member of St. James United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir for over 40 years and served on many committees. She loved traveling and visiting with friends and family. Her grandchildren and great-children were very special to her, sharing their sports and activities whenever possible. She enjoyed puzzles, Sudoku, and sports. She was a Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, and Appleton East fan. She rarely missed an East football or basketball game before COVID. She looked forward to her breakfast groups and the new friends she made upon her move to The Heritage.

Carol is survived by her daughters, Nancy (Bob) Norton of Jackson, WY, Kathy (Monty) Villere of Denver, CO, and Cindy (Dave) Hawley of Appleton, WI; her grandchildren, Alex (April) Norton, Kary (Joel) Norton Wenger, Justin (Courtney) Villere, Aaron (Sarah) Villere, Nick (Brittany) Hawley, and Brian Hawley; her great-grandchildren, Nell and Hank Norton, Forrest and Ruby Norton Wenger, Reese and Griffin Villere, Colin and Sasha Villere, and Liam and Camden Hawley; her brother-in-law, Wally Carlson; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Carol is preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her step-father, Henry Krueger; her brother, Gene Ranke; her step-brothers, Leslie Krueger and Edwin (Ula) Krueger; her brothers-in-law, Clifford (Lois) Carlson and Marvin (Esther) Carlson; her nephew, Todd Ranke; and special friend, Walter Kleman.

A memorial visitation will be held for Carol from 12:00 – 1:00 PM on Friday, October 23, 2026 at St. James United Methodist Church, 100 W Capitol Dr, Appleton, WI 54911 with a memorial service to follow at 1:00 PM. She will be laid to rest with her husband at Highland Memorial Park in Appleton, WI. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund is being established for several organizations Carol was passionate about helping.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Heritage, especially Julie, Becky, and all the CNAs; ThedaCare At Home Hospice, especially Aleena and Erika; as well as the entire staff at Cherry Meadows.