Carol J. Latsch

Carol J. Latsch, age 86, of Onaway, died on January 24, 2024, at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey. The daughter of George and Hilda (Bowles) Wregglesworth, Carol was born in Onaway on August 3, 1937. She graduated from Onaway High School in 1955 and then went to County Normal briefly before moving downstate to work. It was there that she met Dale Latsch who she married on January 4, 1956, in Angola, Indiana. Within a few years, Carol and Dale became the parents of a daughter and two sons.
It was with great determination that Carol kept her home and raised her family as an attentive mother and devoted wife, all while attending college at Central Michigan to receive her degree in special education. She eventually obtained her master's degree and was very close to completing her PhD. Carol made her career with the COPESD where she worked as a special education educator until her retirement in 1997.
Following retirement, Carol opened Still Meadow Bed and Breakfast where her guests were treated to her amazing home-cooking and wonderful hospitality. Carol's breakfast included homemade casseroles, soft-gooey cinnamon rolls, farm eggs, fresh-baked bread, and jams and jellies made with handpicked wild berries. An avid berry picker, Carol could spend an entire day picking and go the next day for more. Each summer the huckleberries, blackberries, and wild raspberries she gathered were lovingly made into homemade jam which she often gave to friends and family. Carol's Bed and Breakfast was surrounded by her beautiful flower gardens that she spent countless hours working in. Digging, planting, weeding, and watering were a labor of love for Carol. When her perennials were ready to split, she divided them to share with others who loved gardening as much as she did. Carol's knowledge and expertise in the kitchen and garden were second to none.
When the winter months were upon her, not allowing for all the outdoor activities she loved, Carol spent her time painting and quilting. Quite artistic, she painted colorful flower blooms from watercolors and even made some of her artwork into greeting cards. Meticulous in her stitches, Carol made the most beautiful hand-made quilts. Each week she met with her sewing and quilting pals in the basement of her church to work on their quilting projects and quilted with the Thunder Bay Quilting Guild in Atlanta.
Carol enjoyed traveling. She and Dale visited South America several times and traveled to England as well. She enjoyed fishing trips to the most remote lakes in Canada where it was an adventure just to get there. Carol loved every minute of the treacherous, white-knuckle trek into the nearly inaccessible, secluded lakes where there wasn't a soul around. Here favorite was Dossier Lake where she reeled in plenty of Brook Trout. Very adventurous and quite independent, at the age of eighty, Carol made a solo trip to Prince Edward Island in Canada. She absolutely loved the majesty of nature and the outdoors. Drawn to the water, the sounds of a flowing river or the beauty of a Northern Michigan lake always refreshed Carol's soul.
Strong in her Christian faith, Carol was a longtime member of the Onaway Community of Christ Church where she was active with church activities and served as a priest to the congregation. She was a member of the Smiling Circle Club, Stepping Stones Garden Club, Thunder Bay Quilt Guild, and a former volunteer for hospice. Carol was a member the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel previously serving as area director and was currently serving on the Allis Township Zoning Board.
Carol was fiercely independent, tough as nails, and enthusiastic in all her endeavors. She was a wonderful homemaker who cooked, baked, and made a welcoming home with her graciousness. She was devoted to her family, her church, and to God. She prayed often and relied on God in times of trouble to give her peace and understanding.
Carol is survived by her sons, Brandon (Sharon) Latsch of Cheboygan and Mitchell (Jane) Latsch of Erin, Tennessee; daughter, Vanessa Latsch of Maywood, Missouri; grandchildren, Chelsea, Duane, Isabelle, Meghan, Caroline, Ashley, Michelle, and Joseph; several great grandchildren; as well as her sister, Leora (Mark) Dean of Onaway; brothers, Richard (Leota "Boots") Wregglesworth of Onaway and Brian (Debbie) Wregglesworth of Wasilla, Alaska; sisters-in-law, Marion Wregglesworth and Eleanor Wregglesworth; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale, on October 14, 2018; brothers, Terry, Ralph "Jim", and Charles Wregglesworth as well as her infant brother, George.
Visitation will be held at Chagnon Funeral Home from 4 pm – 6 pm on Sunday January 28, 2024, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM on Monday January 29, 2024, at the Community of Christ Church in Onaway. Family friend Cosette Rhein and Priest Carolyn Beck will officiate. Carol's final resting place will be at Hillcrest Cemetery. The family has suggested memorial contributions to an organization dear to Carol's heart, Outreach International, at www.oionline.org /Give!