Carolyn E. Weiss

Carolyn Elizabeth (Bauer) Weiss, of Chisago City, changed her address to Heaven on December 28, 2023. She was 93 years old. 

Carolyn was born on March 2, 1930, in Gettysburg, South Dakota to Rev. Hermann and Louise Bauer.  Growing up, Carolyn enjoyed singing in church and community choirs, acting in plays, and working at “The Huddle” as a roller-skating car hop.  She graduated from Belvidere, Illinois, in 1948.  Because of a shortage of parochial schoolteachers, Carolyn was asked to teach right out of high school, first in Dundee, Illinois, and then in Freistadt, Wisconsin. 

In 1959, while standing up for a friend’s wedding, she met Wally Weiss. They were married in 1960 and moved to Benson, Minnesota, where they lived for 25 years, raised four children, and hosted three foster children. 

Carolyn was very active at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, as well as supporting whatever activities her children were doing at the time, all while taking care of her mother and mother-in-law.  She kept a watchful eye on her children as she manned a secretarial desk at the junior high school.

After she and Wally retired, they joined Laborers for Christ and built 27 churches in ten years across the United States. They said that those were the best years of their lives. They settled in Texas for seventeen years, where they made dear friends, both in Gun Barrel City (St. Peter’s) and in Carrollton (Prince of Peace).

Carolyn and Wally moved back to Minnesota in 2013, settling in Chisago City.  They were active with family and friends, church, traveling, and were game ducks for all things adventurous.  Several years later, Carolyn was diagnosed with Parkinson’s related dementia. Their active, involved lives continued as Wally took care of her until 2022 when she moved into memory care.  Wally passed away in April of 2022.

Carolyn received such loving and knowledgeable care from the Parmly staff and Ecumen hospice while at Isabelle’s House.  Her family is so grateful for the love and patience they showed to Carolyn.

In Heaven, Carolyn joins her husband, Wally; her brother, Luther; her sisters-in-law, Doris and Lucy; brothers-in-law, Al and Gerry; family and friends from a lifetime of service. 

Carolyn’s love lives on in her children, Christine (Brad) Weiss-Klatt, Steven (Irene), Mark (Sharan), and Paul (Cathy); foster children, Hoa Nguyen, Scott Pham, and Stephen Pham; grandchildren, Eli and Noah, Shana, Jenny, Jon, and Katrina, Nic, Ben, Sam, and Lydia, Paden, Caleb, and Jessanna; as well as great grandchildren, Cayde, Zachary, Arizona, Levi, Jameson, Juniper, Griffin, and Adelaide.  She awaits her family still on earth; brothers, Herm (Ev) and Louis (Inez) and brother-in-law, Don (Estell). 

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 26, 2024 at Lord of the Lakes, 25402 Itasca Avenue, Chisago City.  The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Zion Cemetery Horton Township in rural Hancock.  Information can be found on www.MattsonFuneralHome.com