Carol May Engel

Carol Engel, 89, of Medford, passed peacefully from this life into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at Aspirus Cedar Lane under the care of Hope Hospice Services. She was born in Medford, WI, to John H. and Lenore (Mueller) Brandner on Friday, April 5, 1935. She attended Holy Rosary Catholic School and graduated from Medford Area Senior High School, class of 1953. Following graduation, she enrolled in Milwaukee’s Spencerian Business College and perfected her excellent grammar, speed typing, and short hand skills. Upon completing her business degree, she returned to Medford and began a 44 ½ year career as a refined bookkeeper and shipping and payroll manager for Hurd Millwork. Located near the Perkins Street bridge, Hurd Millwork dedicated a “Coralburst” Crabapple tree in Carol’s name to honor her years of outstanding service.

On New Year’s Eve 1955, Carol married her high school sweetheart, Wayne W. Engel, and both were faithful, lifelong members of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stetsonville. They delighted in dancing on the weekends with friends to any variety of polka, foxtrot, waltz, swing, or country music. Perry Como’s “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” was their favorite high school dance tune. They whirled about on their basement dance floor for at home parties or on the floor at big band music ballrooms. Together they were blessed with two daughters, Jayne and Jill, a son Mark, and seven grandchildren, Robert, Sara, Michael, Jason, Carolyn, Larissa, and Julia, who are all honorary pallbearers.

Carol is preceded in death by her parents, husband Wayne, daughter Jayne, siblings Jon (Jack) and Marjean, brother-in-laws Ivan Bootzin, Russell, Donald, and Monion Engel, and sister-in-law Rose Engel. She is also survived by brothers Robert and Paul Brandner, Aunt Rosemary (Brandner) Werner, and a plethora of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Carol had great joy mingling at all Brandner, Mueller, and Engel family reunions and at all birthday and holiday celebrations.

As a young girl, Carol’s fond memories are of roller skating and playing outside with neighbor friends on North Second Street where she grew up. Her favorite summer activity was walking downtown to visit her dad at the Brandner Meat Market, stopping at the corner store, and charging an ice cream cone to her dad’s account. During high school summers, she had fun working with Wayne, other classmates, and friends, at the Medford Canning Company which later became Medford Millwork and subsequently the Frances L. Simek Memorial Library. Sometimes, Carol and Donna (Mueller) Goodman would even talk Wayne into giving them a ride home on his moped after work.

Married to young Wayne Engel, an educator, businessman, and outdoorsman, Carol experienced educational activities and outdoor adventures while forming lasting friendships. Eleanore and Frederick Duerr, conveniently living across from The Kuse Farm Museum & Nature Preserve, became instant educator and business mentors to the newly married couple and future godparents. The couples frequently gathered for family backyard picnics and listened to Lawrence Welk’s big band music while the men threw javelin lawn darts called Jarts (metal-tipped darts).

Spring was Door County salmon fishing and Chetek fishing time. Summers were filled with parades, camping, and outdoor activities. Weekends, with Roy and Doris Schroeder’s family at Connors Lake in Phillips, as well as waterskiing with the kids and friends at Lake Holcombe, were also her favorites. She even rode along during fall pheasant and partridge hunting. Winters brought family snowmobiling and hunting time at the farm, but most of all, Carol looked forward to the long Mini-Midas motorhome road trips to visit friends and relatives in Fernandina Beach, FL, Klamath Falls, Oregon, Grass Valley, Fresno, Lynwood, and San Diego, CA, as well as being Wayne’s travelling companion to Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, and Hawaii on insurance business trips.

Carol put miles of run time on her Viking sewing machine creating special dresses and outfits, repairing the boat tarp cover, and repeatedly mending and patching favorite jeans, hunting pants, jackets, and carry bags. In high school, she earned a top seamstress award for creating and modeling her own formal business blazer and skirt. She even cooked all types of wild game and fish for suppers, made sugared French toast, waffles, eggs, and coco wheats for breakfasts, and baked specially decorated angel food cakes for birthdays.

Carol always said that entertainment “costs a little bit” because she took pleasure in getting out of the house for all types of events. Her entertainment consisted of going on bus tours, attending performing art shows and parades, viewing fireworks and hot air balloons, watching indoor swimming events, musical concerts, dance recitals, and hockey games, and also seeing outdoor tennis, soccer, softball, and waterski shows of the grandchildren. She even played hours of solitaire, nickel knock, and cribbage with Wayne, Ed and Bert Schuster, Mike and Marge Guziak, and the grandchildren. Carol’s favorite game was Wayne’s crafted marble game. Carol was also a summer Wednesday Tee-Hi ladies’ golfer and a winter Medford Curling Club mixed doubles curler.  She looked forward to recreational social time, sit down meals, and the creation of forever friendships.

In later years, Carol found great joy driving around the Medford City Park and millpond to watch a variety of ducks and birds, to see ballpark life, and to hear children’s laughter at the pool. She experienced it all while comfortably confined within her vehicle.

Carol’s sightseeing rides and presence will be deeply missed by her family, community, and friends. God provided Carol with a faithful heart, a hard work ethic, a spirit of sweetness, joyfulness, and everlasting kindness, wonderful high school classmates and friends, a fulfilling career at Hurd Millwork with special co-workers, an active family, and memorable experiences and adventures filled with music and dancing. Carol’s friendly and faithful character is her legacy.

Carol and her family are thankful for the companionship and services provided by visitors and Pastors Iwinski, Russow, and Spaude, assistance and rides by Gwen Bauman, and friendship and care from the residents and staff at Aspirus Cedar Lane and Hope Hospice in Medford. A visitation will be held at 2 p.m. until the time of Carol’s funeral service at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 420 E. Lincoln St., Medford, WI 54451, with Rev. David Spaude officiating. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery II and reception at The Bailiwick in Medford.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial gifts for a bench in memory of Carol along the Riverwalk in Medford to 5916 Algoma St., Stevens Point, WI 54482, or send a memorial gift to Immanuel Lutheran Church, or plant a tree in memory of Carol.

Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford is assisting the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carol May Engel, please visit our floral store.