Carol Wehrly

Carol Elaine Wehrly, 85, formerly of Elbow Lake, died Friday, June 5, 2020,of complications after a stroke, at the Barrett Care Center.

Carol graduated from Portland Senior High before attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She then went on and obtained her teaching degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Carol served her first three years as a junior high school teacher in Eagle Butte, South Dakota before relocating to the Elbow Lake area and working in the West Central School system in elementary education until her retirement.

Carol was active with the Elbow Lake Library, was a ravenous reader and enjoyed watching Indiana Hoosiers basketball and Minnesota Twins baseball games.  Like her entire family, Carol was at the leading edge of progressive values such as racial equality, women’s rights, what were then simply called gay rights, environmental issues, and many more.  She raised her daughters with those strongly held beliefs and included them in the classroom when appropriate.  She was most joyful attending family reunions held throughout the United States over the decades, especially while playing cutthroat games of hearts with her siblings into the wee hours, and during languid days reading and in spontaneous conversations with extended family.  Similarly, she treasured her relationships with her many teacher friends and other friends she met over the years as she engaged in many facets of life in her adopted and much-loved new home in West Central Minnesota.  She is especially remembered by all for her quickness to laughter.

Survivors include her daughters, Donna (Bruce) Buttenhoff of Emily, MN, Cindy (Phil) McGuire of Chesterton, IN, Laura Wehrly of Woodbury, MN and Elayne Wehrly of Minneapolis, MN; two sisters, Helen Kincheloe and Rose (Barry) Jellison; a brother, Jim (Rosalie) Wehrly, all from the Bay Area, CA; six grandchildren, Burt (Shawn) Johnson, Cheryl Nelson, Caleb Buttenhoff, David (Sarah) McGuire, Cody Wehrly, and Iain Wehrly; five great-grandchildren, Tyler, Tiffany, Dylan, Addie and Brennan; along with numerous other relatives and friends.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Hazel; two brothers, Fred and Tom; and grandson, Jason Johnson.

A Celebration of Carol’s Life will take place at 3:00 PM Saturday, June 27, 2020, at Glende-Nilson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.  For those unable to attend, a live stream of Carol’s service will be available on her memorial page at www.GlendeNilson.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Elbow Lake Public Library (https://elbowlakepubliclibrary.org/friend-of-the-library/) or LB Hospice (https://www.lbhomes.org/hospice1).

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