Carol E. Whyms
Carol E. Whyms, age 98, of Oakfield, WI, passed peacefully on Thursday,
March 19, 2020, at St. Francis Home with family by her side. She was born on
January 18, 1922, in Oakfield, the daughter of George and Lillian (Meyers)
Tesch. On February 27, 1945, she married Charles A. Whyms in Oakfield. He
preceded her in death on February 1, 1988.
Carol began her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in 1941. She earned a master’s degree in Elementary
Education and taught in Lamartine and Oakfield for 28 years until her
retirement in 1987. Carol was a member of the Fond du Lac Retired Educators Association
and greatly enjoyed their monthly meetings. She attended the weekly social hour
at her local bank and participated in the Byron Historical Society. Carol and
her young family were members of the South Byron
Methodist Church until its closing.
She then became a member of the Lamartine
United Methodist Church for over twenty years, where she was church treasurer,
administrative board member, and
organized the annual Strawberry Social, which she looked forward to every
spring. When the Lamartine
United Methodist Church closed, she joined the Oakfield United Methodist Church
until her passing. Along with her husband, Chuck, Carol was involved
with the O.J. Gromme bird club and was a longtime member and supporter of Marsh
Haven Nature Center. She took pictures
for the Belle Reynolds Elementary School Wall of Fame, volunteered at Loaves
and Fishes, assisted at blood drives, became actively involved in the Oakfield
Ledge/Niagara Escarpment Preservation effort, and was a 4-H Project Leader.
These and numerous other services to her community earned her Fond du Lac
County’s Outstanding Senior Citizen
Award in 2002 and the 4-H Alumni Award in 2004. Carol enjoyed photography,
gardening, traveling, learning German, cooking and baking, bird watching, and
serving her community. Carol passed her love of these on to her children,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Most of all, she loved
spending time with her family, especially babysitting her grandchildren.
Long after WWII, she continued to
live by the slogan: “Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do
without!”
Carol was a loving and devoted mother who always put her children
first. Left to treasure her memory are
her children: Kathleen Steffa and husband Ray of CO; Sharon Whyms and husband
Bill Empey of CA; Sandra Giessen and husband Ralph of WI; Michael Whyms and
wife Diane of MD; Joseph Whyms and wife Karen of WI; Rhonda Reynolds and
husband Mike of OH; Nancy Whyms and husband Dick Blackburn of IN; Mark Whyms
and wife Diane of WI. She loved her grandchildren: Nicole, Ryan, Brian, Pamela, Matthew, Nathan, Alan, Erik, Laura,
Emily, Annette, and Garrett; spouses of the grandchildren; numerous
great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents,
husband Chuck, infant brother, and sister Dorothy Miller.
Cremation has taken place.
Services are expected in several months; date and times will be published in
the Fond du Lac Reporter and on ueckerwitt.com once they become available.
Memorials may be directed in
Carol’s name to the Oakfield United Methodist Church, 220 S. Main St, Oakfield,
WI, 53065.
Additional information and guest
book may be found at ueckerwitt.com.