Dorothy Carol (Walker) Kjelshus passed away Nov. 14, 2023 in her home in Greenwood MO, at age 99. Carol was born August 8, 1924, to Wesley and Elizabeth Walker. She grew up in Iowa county, Dodgeville WI. She graduated from high school there and attended Platteville State College in Platteville WI. She joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps and then attended and graduated from the Kahler Hospital School of Nursing, Rochester MN, in 1946. She earned a bachelor of science in public health nursing from the University of Minnesota medical school.
Carol met Ben Kjelshus while at the University of Minnesota and they married in Dec. 1949. Carol worked as a county public health nurse in Cook County, IL, and in Cuyahoga County OH. She worked as a community mental health nurse at Western Missouri Mental Health Center in Kansas City until retirement.
Carol was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Rev. Rev. Bjarne (Ben) Kjelshus, and two sisters: Joyce Kirschbaum (Pat) and Margaret Peat (Delmar). She is survived by her three children: Jon (Cheryle), Karen Hinkle, and Eric; six grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Carol enjoyed being a Mom and being married. She enjoyed seeing her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grow. Carol was an avid reader all her life and enjoyed getting a new supply of books and magazines to read when she was not able to get out as much. She took pleasure in sewing and making lap quilts to donate and knitting caps and mittens. She was a committed bee keeper for many years enjoying taking care of her “girls,”
A Celebration of Life took place December 23, 2023, at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Kansas City. A service of remembrance and interment of ashes took place July 27, 2024, at Nora Unitarian Universalist Church, Hanska MN.