Caroline Elsie Myhre Kinsey of Babbitt passed away peacefully in her sleep the evening of Dec. 26, 2009, after an 18 year challenge with Parkinson’s Disease.
She was born to Bert H. Myhre and Tressie Grace Hall Myhre on Sept. 11, 1931 in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. She married Jimmy M. Kinsey on Feb. 9, 1950.
Besides being a great homemaker, she made her mark in the business world as a self-taught accountant, working for a CPA firm and later as comptroller for a motor rebuilding company. She was instrumental in the founding of a family houseboat company later in life.
She loved boating on Birch Lake, playing cards and sitting on her rock with the grandchildren. Carol wrote and published two books, one based on her life and another on her mother-in-law’s family.
Carol was a caring mother and loving wife. She was a beautiful, loving, kind, generous and courageous woman who was a special gift to us all. There are so many that she touched and we will miss her very much.
She is survived by her husband, Jim; daughters, Barbara (Mark) Kok, Cynthia (Richard) Harms, and Murray (Corinna) Kinsey; grandchildren, Jennifer (Ronald) Bailey, Alethea (Toby) Holden, Matthew Harms, Andrew (Stephanie Arnold) Harms; six step-grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter. She is also survived by one brother, Ralph Myhre, and one sister, Beverly Jacobsen, and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, and one daughter, Susan Kinsey on Dec. 25, 1978.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009 at 2 p.m. at Woodland Presbyterian Church, Babbitt, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.