Carol A. Oleson

Carol A. Oleson, 78, of Midland, died Thursday, March 3, 2016, at Brookdale Clarebridge Cottage. She was born Sept. 16, 1937 in Milwaukee, Wis., daughter of the late Glenn and Dorothy (Urbanek) Rieder. She was the oldest of five children.

Carol graduated from Cedarburg High School in June of 1955 as valedictorian with a perfect grade average. She later graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in education, and taught at Chestnut Hill Elementary in Midland.

Carol married John Douglas Oleson in June of 1959. She loved children and had five of her own, including triplets. Carol was a gentle and unassuming person, with a quiet grace who always had a smile and kind words for everyone. She always shared the best of herself with everyone she knew and saw the best in others.

Carol is survived by her husband, John; her children: Ann (Dan) Perry of Kauai, Hawaii, Mary Oleson of LaCross, Wis., Catherine Oleson of Midland, Robert (Connie Gunter) Oleson of Fort Collins, Colo., and Douglas (Bill Brewer) Oleson of San Francisco, Calif.; two grandchildren, Abbey and Arjuna; brothers, Teb Rieder of Milwaukee, Wis., Doug Rieder of Cedarburg, Wis.; and sisters, Betsy Stahnke of Oconomowoc, Wis., and Vicki Braasch of Ixonia, Wis.

A memorial service will take place 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2016, from the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Chapel, 1200 West Wheeler St., with Pastor W. Roger Stauffer officiating. Carol's family will receive friends at the funeral home the day of the service from 1 p.m. until time of the service. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at www.nationalmssociety.org.