Carol Anderson Kraus

1934 - 2025

Carol Anderson Kraus

October 30, 1934 - June 26, 2025

Carol Anderson Kraus, 90, last surviving child of Harold and Margaret Anderson, died peacefully at Hospice of Northwest Ohio Toledo on June 26, 2025.

Carol lived her life in service to family and community. Her inherent warmth and openness drew in people who needed her love, support, or counsel. She proudly called Motherhood her life's work. Carol was deeply committed to nurturing her eight children, their spouses, and thirty-one grandchildren. Her joyful marriage with Paul Kraus spanned from 1960 until his death in 2018. Her joy has since been incomplete, and her family rejoices at their reunion.

Carol was a Gesu parishioner from 1960-1979. Her children were educated there, followed by St. Joan of Arc Parish. She was an SJA parishioner until her death. Her support of family alma maters included Central Catholic, St. Ursula Academy, St. Francis de Sales, St. John's Jesuit, and Notre Dame Academy where she served on advisory and school boards. She did everything from cooking to major fundraising to sharing her wisdom as a featured speaker. Even after all her children finished high school, she was a volunteer tutor at SJJ. She advocated for Toledo-area children as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), and served on the Citizen Review Board. She was a passionate volunteer and board member for Hospice of Northwest Ohio for more than a decade. Carol was a prolific and quiet servant and philanthropist on every scale.

Carol was an integral part of the early success and growth of The Andersons. During the Big Pour in 1953, she and Fran Anderson fed more than 200 workers three meals per day. She helped account for the physical and financial flows of grain purchases and sales in the company's early days. Carol also founded and ran the summer camp for employees' children, an innovative HR benefit. Harold Anderson wrote of his daughter in a 1964 history of The Andersons, "Carol is the diplomat of the family. It would be impossible to imagine any personnel problem that could not be solved by (her)."

She is survived by her eight children, their spouses, and 31 adoring grandchildren, John and Ana (Arcocha), Kelly, Kevin, Daniel and Emily; Joseph and Marie (Vedra), Katherine, Elizabeth and Frances; Gretchen Hartlage, Carson, Claire, Cecilia and Joan; Susan and Chris Dziubek, Margaret, Ellen, Jacob and Caroline; Thomas and Paula (Koshiol), Virginia, Grace, Eli, and Mary Josephine; Frances and Michael Larkin, Ryan, Jack, Nora and Margaret; Philip and Jennifer (Hergenrather), Olivia, Noah, and Joshua; Eric and Jenny (Hills), Mary Carol, Anderson, William, Paxton, and Margot. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Fran Anderson; and an extensive extended family. Last, she is survived by the countless people who were not her blood relatives, but called her Mom or Grammy.

Carol truly saw the face of God in every person. She laughed easily and often. She was a light, and her love will remain.

Visitation will be held from 2:00-8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, July 1, at Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd, Toledo. The last 90 minutes will include an opportunity for memory sharing. Visitation will continue at St. Joan of Arc Church, 5856 Heatherdowns Blvd, Toledo, on Wednesday, July 2, at 10:00 a.m., with a Funeral Service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Rather than flowers, her children would prefer donations to either CASA (https://casakids.net/donate/) or Hospice of Northwest Ohio (Hospicenwo.org).

Please view and sign Carol's online guest registry at CoyleFuneralHome.com

www.coylefuneralhome.com