Carol Ann Oliver

When reflecting on the life of Carol Oliver, it is easy to see that her heart beat to serve others. In fact, her life was dedicated to giving to all who were within her reach with compassion, empathy, and unconditional love and understanding. Although Carol accomplished great things, nothing was more near and dear to her heart than the relationships she shared with her family and friends. She was known for her hard work and her eye for detail that when coupled with her individual sense of creative flair, blessed others in ways both great and small. Selfless to her core, Carol was genuine in her concern for others and was continually filled with hope and positive thoughts, even when the storms of life came her way. Deeply loved, Carol will be forever missed while her spirit remains forever a part of the lives of all who were blessed to know and love her.

It seems only fitting that Carols journey began during a time that was as vibrant as she was. It was the 1950s when Elvis Presley became a household name, James Dean made young girls swoon on the silver screen, and we celebrate the additions of Alaska and Hawaii as our 49th and 50th states. It was just as this decade was coming to an end that Jack R. and Gladys Polly (Kohart) Honeick were pleased to announce the birth of their twin girls, Carol Ann and Nancy on June 11, 1959, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Carol was born a full two minutes after her sister Nancy, and their mother was quite surprised that she was carrying twins. She was born into a family of many as her parents both had children before Carol and Nancy was born, and their family was later completed with the birth of their sister, Laura. Before Carol and her sister turned five, the family moved from their home off Leesburg Road, west of Ft. Wayne and to Bair Road on Shriner Lake, North of Columbia City.

In many ways Carol was a young girl of her generation. She and her twin sister were nearly inseparable and liked many of the same things. Carol attended Thorncreek School and developed a love for arts and music. She enjoyed doing crafts and sewing with their mother, who was a professional seamstress. In fifth grade, Carol and Nancy joined the school band together with Carol playing the clarinet. In high school they both were in the marching band and concert band. She went on to graduate from Columbia City Joint High School in 1977.

Always together, Carol and her sister became waitresses at Mullendores after high school. This proved to be quite fateful since it was there that she met Tim W. Oliver who would change the course of her life forever. They began dating and were later married in December of 1979. Carol spent some time working at Essex Wire and Cable until giving birth to her daughter, Holly, in 1982. A few years later, their family was completed with the birth of their son, Jason.

Throughout most of her adulthood, Carol held several jobs at a time. She was always a very hard and dedicated employee to anyone she worked for as well as a great team player and team leader. With the love of art and design, Carol started out working at Our Compliments in Columbia City, and within a few years was designing and decorating the shop. In the early nineties, she took a job at the Carriage House Flowers in Columbia City and South Whitley Florist, also in the early nineties. Carol loved working with the silk flowers, and her favorite time was decorating the shop for Christmas. A bit later, she obtained her Indiana Life Insurance License and prearranged funerals with Sheets and Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco for a few years. After visiting her uncle in California, Carol returned with the motivation and desire to do mural paintings, which led her to start her own business, Signature Walls. In April of 2000, she went to work at Franks Wholesale Florist in Fort Wayne where she eventually ended up managing and decorating their showroom. With her love for Christmas, she was excited to start decorating for the season, usually once July rolled around! In 2014, Carol moved into a full-time position at DeMoney-Grimes, marking the beginning of a new chapter in a 30 year career there. Throughout that time, she was a dedicated employee who absolutely loved decorating in addition to keeping the home clean and organized. Carol was not only creative, but she had a passion to personalize the funeral, creating wonderful displays from the family members items that were brought in. She always had such an amazing imagination that fueled all of her creative ideas, and she could repurpose anything as she also loved being frugal. Carol also loved shopping for deals and would share her excitement on what she purchased for so little of cost!

All who knew Carol would agree that she was truly one of a kind. She always put others first, and if you were in a bad mood she was known to give someone five minutes to complain while insisting that they were to move on after that five minutes was up. No matter what was going on in her own life, Carol wanted others to tell her about what was going on in their life, and she always gave the best hugs. When she wasnt working, she enjoyed traveling and visiting her family around the United States. Carol also enjoyed taking an annual ride on the paddleboat, The Dixie Boat Sternwheeler, on Lake Webster.

With unending love for those around her, Carol Oliver made a significant impact in the lives of everyone she met. She was always concerned for others first and foremost, and she had a heart that was as big as they come. Carol remained positive, even as she was engaged in the fight for her life, and she continued to work despite being in pain since her dedication was truly unmatched. She leaves behind a priceless collection of artwork and memories that her loved ones will forever treasure.

Carol Ann Oliver, 56, of Columbia City, Indiana, passed away at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at her home. Carols family includes her children, Holly (Jason Gruber)Oliver and Jason (Jen Perkins)Oliver, both of Columbia City; brother, Robert (Sally) Gable, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; sisters, Vicki (Jeff) Schenher, of Churubusco, Jayne (Rob) Monsipapa, of Mesa, Arizona, Sandy A. (Donald) Myers, of LaOtto; Laura A. (Bud) Snyder, of South Whitley and her identical twin sister, Nancy A. Gilbert, of Columbia City; and several nieces and nephews. Carol was preceded in death by her parents.

Visitation isfrom 4 8 p.m. Monday, March 28, 2016, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral service will be10 a.m. Tuesdayat the funeral home with Pastor Stephen Johnson of Oak Grove Church of Godand Certified Funeral Celebrant Sharon Brockhaus officiating. She will be lovingly and gently laid to rest next to her mother at Oak Grove (Compton) Cemetery. Memorials may be given in her memory to Cancer Services ofNortheast Indiana or Visiting Nurse Hospice Home. To send Carols family online condolences, visit www.demoneygrimes.com