Carol May (Brandner) Engel
1935-2024
Carol Engel, 89, of Medford, passed peacefully from this life into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at Aspirus Cedar Lane under the care of Hope Hospice Services. She was born in Medford, Wis., to John H. and Lenore (Mueller) Brandner on Friday, April 5, 1935. She attended Holy Rosary Catholic School and graduated from Medford Area Senior High School, class of 1953. Following graduation, she enrolled in Milwaukee’s Spencerian Business College and perfected her excellent grammar, speed typing, and short hand skills. Upon completing her business degree, she returned to Medford and began a 44½ year career as a refined and dedicated bookkeeper and payroll manager for Hurd Millwork.
On New Year’s Eve 1955, Carol married her high school sweetheart, Wayne W. Engel, and both were faithful, lifelong members of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stetsonville. They delighted in going out dancing on weekends with friends. Perry Como’s “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” was their favorite dance tune as they whirled about on the dance floor. Together they were blessed with two daughters, Jayne and Jill, a son Mark, and seven grandchildren, Robert, Sara, Michael, Jason, Carolyn, Larissa, and Julia, who are all honorary pallbearers.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wayne; daughter, Jayne; siblings, Jon (Jack) and Marjean; brothers-in-law, Ivan Bootzin, Russell, Donald, and Monion Engel; and sister-in-law, Rose Engel. She is also survived by brothers, Robert and Paul Brandner; Aunt Rosemary (Brandner) Werner; and a plethora of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Carol had great joy mingling at all Brandner, Mueller, and Engel family reunions.
As a young girl, Carol had fond memories roller skating down North 2nd Street where she grew up. Her favorite summer activity was walking downtown to visit her dad at the Brandner Meat Market, stopping at the corner store, and charging an ice cream cone to her dad’s account. During high school summers, she worked with friends at the Medford Canning Company which later became Medford Millwork and subsequently the Frances L. Simek Memorial Library.
Married to Wayne Engel, Carol experienced all types of adventures. Spring was Door County salmon fishing and Chetek fishing time. Summers were filled with parades, camping, and outdoor activities. Weekends, with Roy and Doris Schroeder at Connors Lake in Phillips, as well as waterskiing with the kids and friends at Lake Holcombe, were her favorites. She even rode along during fall pheasant and partridge hunting. Winters brought family snowmobiling and hunting time at the farm, but most of all, Carol looked forward to the long Mini-Midas motorhome road trips to visit friends and relatives in Fernandina Beach, Fla., Klamath Falls, Ore., Grass Valley, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego, Calif., as well as being Wayne’s traveling companion to Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, and Hawaii on insurance business trips.
Carol put miles of run time on her Viking sewing machine creating special dresses and outfits, repairing the boat tarp cover, repeatedly mending jeans, and patching favorite hunting pants, jackets, and carry bags. In high school, she earned a top seamstress award for creating and modeling her own formal business blazer and skirt. She even cooked all types of wild game and fish for suppers, breakfasts with sugared French toast, waffles, eggs, and coco wheats, and baked her specially decorated angel food birthday cakes.
Carol always said that entertainment “costs a little bit” because she took pleasure in getting out of the house for all types of events. Her entertainment consisted of going on bus tours, attending performing art shows and parades, viewing fireworks and hot air balloons, watching musical concerts, swimming events, and waterski shows, and also seeing tennis, soccer, softball, and hockey games of the grandchildren. She even played hours of solitaire, nickel knock, and cribbage with Wayne, friends, and the grandchildren. Carol’s favorite game was Wayne’s crafted marble game. Carol was also a summer Wednesday Tee-Hi ladies’ golfer and a winter Medford Curling Club mixed doubles curler. She looked forward to recreational social time, sit down meals, and creation of forever friendships.
In later years, she found great joy driving around the Medford City Park and Mill Pond to watch a variety of ducks and birds, to see ballpark life, and to hear children’s laughter at the pool. She experienced it all while comfortably confined within her vehicle.
Carol’s sightseeing rides and presence will be deeply missed by her family and friends. God provided Carol with a faithful heart, a hard work ethic, a spirit of sweetness, joyfulness, and everlasting kindness, along with wonderful high school classmates, a fulfilling career at Hurd Millwork with special co-workers, an active family, and memorable good times.
Carol and her family are thankful for the companionship and services provided by visitors and Pastors Russow, Iwinski, and Spaude, assistance and rides by Gwen Bauman, and friendship and care from the residents and staff at Aspirus Cedar Lane and Hope Hospice in Medford.
A visitation will be held at 2 p.m. until the time of Carol’s funeral service at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 420 E. Lincoln St., Medford, WI 54451, with Rev. David Spaude officiating. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery II in Medford.
In lieu of flowers, gift contributions may be given for a bench in memory of Carol along the Riverwalk Trail in Medford. (c/o Carol Engel, 5916 Algoma St., Stevens Point, WI 54482) Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford is assisting the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com.
Paid Obituary 154027
