June 9, 2022 at 12:38 p.m.
Carolyn Cora Giles
Carolyn Cora Giles
Carolyn, the youngest daughter of the late Cora (Zimmerly) and Paul Wick, was born Aug. 22, 1928, on the Wick family farm on Happy Hill near North Freedom, Wis. Carolyn and her family moved from Happy Hill to Baraboo in 1932, after the tragic death of her father two years earlier when she was only two years old. She was raised in Baraboo by her mother and grandmother, attended St. John's Lutheran School for her elementary education and graduated from Baraboo Senior High School in 1946.
Carolyn married her high school sweetheart, Duane M. Giles, on April 3, 1948, and shortly thereafter began her professional career at the Baraboo Telephone Company. She started out on the cord board as a traditional long-distance telephone operator and was later promoted to her favorite position in the company, that of service observer. She ended her long telephone career at the AT&T Telephone Company in Madison and retired in 1986 to a lovely cabin on Crescent Lake in Rhinelander while spending winters on Palm Island in Florida. She was a long-standing member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Baraboo where she sang in the choir and served in the Ladies' Aid. When she and Duane moved to Rhinelander, they became members of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Because they were an important part of her life, Carolyn was most happy spending time with family on holidays, summer picnics, vacations, and just relaxing by the lake. Almost every family gathering included penny poker, contract rummy, Yahtzee, or Scrabble. She loved to travel; there were only two states that she didn't visit. She loved spending winters in Florida with Duane and spent many happy hours looking for shells, doing crossword puzzles and relaxing by the pool. Carolyn especially loved the four "S's": sun, sewing, shopping, and shoes.
Carolyn was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 73 years, Duane; her grandson, Sam Weis; her sister, Delores (Wick) Wersal; and her brother, Clarence Wick.
She is survived by her three daughters: Paula (Keith) Muschinske, Linda (Thomas) Barnhart, and Debra (Dana James) Weis; six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law, Jean (Giles) Albers, and many nieces and nephews.
The Giles family wishes to thank Dr. Steven Brooks and his staff, the caring staff at Country Terrace Assisted Living Home, and Compassus Hospice, all of Rhinelander, for their excellent, compassionate care given to Carolyn. The family also wishes to thank the many neighbors and friends on Crescent Lake who always watched out for both Carolyn and Duane.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2022 from 11 a.m. until noon with memorial services following at noon, all at the Carlson Funeral Home. Interment will be at a later date in the Rock Hill Cemetery in Baraboo.
A memorial is being established in Carolyn's name for the Rhinelander Food Pantry. You may leave your private condolences for the Giles family at www.carlsonfh.com.
The Carlson Funeral Home (715-369-1414) is serving the Giles family.
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