Caroline Adler

Caroline Adler

Marietta, GA, formerly of Des Moines

Caroline (Punky) Adler, 84, formerly of Des Moines, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, Wednesday, May 16th at her home in Marietta, GA.

Born in Adel, IA in 1927 to Edwin and Claudette Axten, Caroline graduated from Adel High School. She went on to attend St. Catherine University in St. Paul before transferring to Drake University from which she received a degree in Education in 1947.

While at Drake, Caroline met and married Myron Adler and the two resided in Des Moines before Myron's job took them to live in a number of cities across the country. Upon Myron's untimely death in 1967, Caroline moved back to Des Moines with her six children.

In Des Moines, Caroline worked at Massey Ferguson and Allied Group (Nationwide) Insurance before retiring in 1990. An avid jazz fan, she volunteered much of her time to the Des Moines Community Jazz Center and was a devoted fan of the Des Moines Big Band, rarely missing their weekly Monday night performances. For many years after her retirement, she fed her love of music and the theatre working as an usher at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Caroline was a voracious reader who never met a book she didn't like and was always well-versed on current events. Proud of her Drake roots, she attended the Drake Relays faithfully and was a Drake Women's Basketball season ticket holder, always anxious to cheer "her girls" on.

Before moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area to be close to many of her children and grandchildren, Caroline was a member of the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, where she had many friends and where she truly felt at home.

Caroline touched many lives. Her friends and family knew her as an extraordinarily compassionate, caring, selfless, classy, independent, sweet, gracious, beautiful woman with a ready smile.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Peter and Bernie; and her husband, Myron. She is survived by her children, Nancy (Bush) Enos and Pete (Becky) Adler of Marietta, GA; Missy (Richard) Mark of Collinsville, IL; Paul (Cindy) Adler and Tim (Kim) Adler of Alpharetta, GA; and Kate (Bob) Washut of Cedar Falls, IA; eleven grandchildren, Caroline and Matt Enos, Josiane Adler and Cassidy (Scott) Maney, Fontez (Mindy), Joe (Ali), and Megan Mark, Preston and Davis Adler, MacLaine Adler, and Robin Washut; and great-grandchildren, Wyatt and Oakley Maney, and Derrick and Joshua Mark.

Services will be held at the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, 1800 Bell Ave, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 9, 2012. A reception offering cookies and punch will be held at the church following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Alzheimer's Association or the charity of your choice.