Carol Dolores Spencer, 89, died at Hope Hospice in Shell Point, Fort Myers, Fla. on June 7, 2017, surrounded by her loving husband and three sons.
She was born April 19, 1928, in Fond du Lac, Wis. to the late Peter and Goldie Fox.
As a child, Carol joyfully worked on her father’s dairy farm and rode her bike to a one-room schoolhouse, graduating as valedictorian from Lomira High School. She then entered University of Wisconsin (River Falls) before transferring to the Kahler School of Nursing/Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Soon after, Carol married Dr. Bernard Spencer, and the two moved to Minneapolis, where he practiced.
Carol was predeceased by her parents and her only sibling, Marvin Fox. She is survived by her adoring husband, Bernie, of 64 years, and her sons Brian (Teresa) of Naples, Fla.; Todd of Schroeder, Minn.; and Kevin (Andrea) of Summerfield, N.C. She also leaves behind three grandchildren – Kacy, McKenna and Kellen – who enjoyed her stories, card playing, angel food cake and lively spirit.
Always generous with her time and talents, Carol was an attentive mother, grandmother, friend and neighbor who lovingly shared her homemaking, cooking, gardening and letter writing skills with others. She enjoyed travel, delved into history, music and politics, and was an avid reader. She took her boys on many outdoor adventures and designed several of the family’s homes, which they enjoyed immensely over the years. She and Bernie spent the last three decades living mostly on Sanibel Island, Fla.
Carol was a supporter of the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital Association, the Schroeder Garden Club, and PEO International, which provides educational opportunities for women. She will be remembered for her spirited nature and joyful outlook on life.
Her cremains will be buried in the Schroeder Cemetery near the home on Lake Superior, where the family often gathered and Carol loved to spend her summers.
Memorials may be sent to the Children’s Minnesota Foundation (CBC-3-FOUN, 5901 Lincoln Drive, Edina, Minn. 55436) or the Sanibel Congregational UCC (2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, Fla. 33957).
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