Carol Jean (Lentz) Meyer, 80, of Wykoff, died Monday, June 12, 2017, at Mayo Clinic Hospital – Methodist Campus due to kidney cancer. She was born on December 19, 1936 in Forestville Township to Harold and Gladys (Vrieze) Lentz, the fifth of seven children. She attended Le Fevere and Bateman rural schools and Spring Valley High School, graduating in 1954. On January 8, 1955, she married Ernest Meyer, Jr. at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Wykoff. The couple lived in Preston until moving to their farm east of Wykoff in February 1962.
Carol Jean and Ernest enjoyed over 62 years of marriage and were blessed with four children, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. The couple was very active in their community and generously supported and volunteered their time to: St. Johns Lutheran Church and School, St. Johns Food Shelf, Wykoff Area Historical Society and Ed’s Museum, Friends of Forestville State Park and Mystery Cave, 4-H, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Good Earth Village, Spring Valley Area Community Foundation, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and Lutheran Hour Ministries. In 2002, Carol Jean and Ernest were inducted into the Fillmore County 4-H Hall of Fame. In 2015, they were honored as grand marshals of Wykoff’s Fall Fest parade.
Carol Jean took great pride in working. She was employed part-time at Phillips Publishing (Spring Valley Tribune) as a proof reader and typesetter for over 42 years, rarely missing a day of work. She continued working up until a month prior to her death. Carol Jean also firmly believed in the importance of giving blood. In her lifetime, she gave over 102 pints to both the Red Cross and Mayo Clinic Blood Donor programs and helped over 261 people. In her free time, she enjoyed hiking, biking, pie-making, charitable giving, mission quilting, playing piano, and singing music and hymns. She loved kids, her own relations as well as others. Even in her last days, her eyes sparkled when young children came to visit.
Carol Jean is lovingly remembered by her husband and four children: Ernest Meyer III of Forestville, Terry (Jane) Meyer of Madison, Wis., Susan (Jerry) Nash of Wykoff, Andrea (Jeff) Eickhoff of Wykoff; 11 grandchildren: Karen (Karl) Bjellum of Spring Valley, Kelli Meyer of Rochester, Katy (Mike) Wiersma of Forestville, Benjamin (Diana) Meyer of New Orleans, La., Thomas Meyer of Twain Harte, Calif., Jadon Nash of Rochester, Brenda (James) Nash-Eickhoff of Wykoff, Aaron Nash of Wykoff, and Sydney, Nickolas and Andrew Eickhoff of Wykoff; plus 11 beloved great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters: Bernice Root of Spring Valley, Francis Passe of Rochester and Arlone Crowson of Hastings; sisters-in-law: Pauline Lentz of Spring Valley, Marguerite Peterson of Wykoff, Myrna Meyer of Sierra Vista, Ariz., and Carol Ann Meyer of Byron; former sister-in-law Marcella Musel of Wykoff; brother-in-law Harold (Carolyn) Meyer of Rock Dell; former daughter-in-law Linda Richardson of Cresco, Iowa; and many, many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Arlow and Jerry Lentz; sister Mavis Frank; and brothers-in-law Doane Root, Lyle Frank, Eugene Passe, Mervin Crowson, Harvey Peterson, Richard Meyer, Robert Meyer and John Meyer.
A memorial service will be held 10 a.m. Friday, June 16, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Wykoff, with burial at a later date. As per Carol Jean’s wishes, her body was donated to Mayo Research. Visitation will be Thursday, June 15, from 5-8 p.m., also at St. Johns. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Johns Lutheran Church or School or to any of the organizations Carol Jean loved and supported.
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