Carolyn Jean Boelter

Carolyn Jean (Rensmon) Boelter, 94, passed away peacefully on Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11 at dawn at the St. Johns Woodlands Campus in Albert Lea, MN. A memorial service will be held at 2:45pm on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home in Albert Lea, MN. A visitation will begin at 2pm on the day of the service, with a luncheon to follow the service. Pastor Mary Fiel from First Lutheran Church will be officiating.

Carolyn was born on January 20, 1931 on the family farm in Lake Mills, Iowa. She was the fourth daughter of Abel and Luella (Nystuen) Rensmon. Carolyn attended school in Lake Mills. After graduation, she moved to Albert Lea, MN and was employed at Queen Stove Works.

Carolyn met Orville A. Boelter through her sister Helen, and brother-in-law Milford Berhow. Orville was in partnership at Luethold’s Mens Clothing in Albert Lea. He proposed to her before leaving for service in the Korean War. When he returned, they were married on August 16, 1952 at Bristol Lutheran Church in Iowa. They raised their three boys; Keith (72), Bruce (70), and Robert (66) on the northside of Albert Lea on Green Street.

The family took many fishing and camping trips up to the northern Minnesota lakes. The family also were members of Salem Lutheran Church, and the three boys were confirmed there.

Eventually, Orville and Carolyn moved to Medford, Oregon and opened Boelter’s Mens Clothing Store. Unfortunately, Orville was killed in a car accident in April 1978. Carolyn continued to live in Medford and worked at LaPoint’s Ladies Clothing Store. She eventually left Medford and traveled for a year. She enjoyed living and traveling in a motor home with good friends Paul and Willie. They toured the west coast through Oregon and California.

She decided to move to Gilbert, Arizona in order to be closer to her “teacher” son Robert and his wife Linda, who resided in Phoenix, Arizona. After working at Sears in Mesa, Arizona, she decided to move back to Minnesota. She was employed at Creegar Coat Company on the miracle mile in Rochester for many years, until her retirement in 2001.

Carolyn continued to be active, traveling with family and friends to Mexico, Hawaii, Norway, Branson and Las Vegas. She enjoyed meeting people and spending time with friends. She was an avid book and novel reader. Carolyn enjoyed playing cards and also games on her smart phone. Carolyn resided at the Kenosha Apartments for the past 16 years, where she valued the many friendships of dear friends. Carolyn moved to St. Johns Timbers in Albert Lea in February 2025.

Carolyn is cherished by many family members, including her sister Agnes Tiede (who turned 101 this May); sons Keith, Bruce and Robert Boelter. daughters-in-law Becky (Hartz) Boelter, Linda (Winokur) Boelter; sister-in-law Ruth Boelter; nieces Jane (Berhow) Frank, Nancy (Berhow) Stadille, Diane Fieck, Debbie (Fieck) Oberring, and Denise (Fieck) Becker. nephews Steve Tiede and Mark Tiede; grandson Tony Boelter; granddaughter Jennifer (Boelter) Dauer; great granddaughter Isabel Hanson; along with many cousins and dear friends.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband Orville; parents Abel and Luella; sisters Helen Berhow and Dorothy Fieck, along with brother-in-law Lyle Boelter.

Carolyn was loved by so many friends and family members and she will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace sweet Carolyn.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at St. Croix Hospice for their loving care of Carolyn.

Donations can be made to St. Croix Hospice.

The memorial service will be live-streamed from the Bayview/Freeborn YouTube page, and can be watched below, or from the following link: https://youtube.com/live/_LnI2S8Rq1A?feature=share