Carol Ann Struve
March 31, 1945 – March 13 2025
Carol Ann Struve (Rees) was born on March 31, 1945 in Omaha, NE. The oldest daughter of Dr. Barney and Helen Rees, she grew up with her sisters Kathy (Twieg) and Mary Jane (Berryman), where she participated in Campfire Girls, played with her beloved dog, Chips, and developed a life-long passion for reading. She excelled at her studies at Westside High School and put herself through college as a medical secretary. After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she studied both History and English, she taught high school and middle school.
On a blind date, she met Roger Struve, then a captain in the Air Force. They married ten months later. Their marriage was warm and loving and they remained together for fifty-two years until Roger’s passing in 2022. She was a devoted wife to Roger, learning how to make his favorite raisin-filled cookies and tolerating his frequent trips to the hardware store (when he would invariably stop for donuts). Carol and Roger settled in Omaha and had two daughters, Laura and Ellen. Roger worked for the Air Force at Offut, and Carol initially stayed at home to raise their daughters. She was the leader of their Campfire Girl troops, volunteered at the elementary school library, and went to many, many swim meets, softball games, and music concerts.
When her children were grown, Carol returned to teaching, teaching language arts and theatre arts at Andersen Middle School in Millard for ten years, where she was an engaged and inspiring teacher. She loved teaching middle school students, while acknowledging they are an “acquired taste.” Upon retirement, Carol and Roger moved to Estes Park, Colorado. Carol and Roger everything Rocky Mountain National Park had to offer—hiking, picnics, snow-shoeing, and feeding the chipmunks. She loved living in Colorado and only left when her health required her to move back to Omaha in 2015. This was a blessing, as she was able to spend more time with her grandchildren, Reese and Eddie, who lived in Omaha, and Jocelyn and Ivy, who lived in Ohio. Carol was an extremely active volunteer, working at Swanson Public Library and the Yates Sewing Lab. She also worked with Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska (GRINN) and assisted many golden retrievers in finding their forever homes.
Carol was active in many sewing, embroidery, knitting, and quilting groups in Colorado and Nebraska, including Cottonwood Quilters in Nebraska. She worked tirelessly for the Trail Ridge quilters in Estes Park and their charity efforts for the local hospital, making countless items for their fundraising events. She was a gifted seamstress, who made all her children’s clothes, many of her grandchildren’s most cherished items, quilts, samplers, placemats, baby blankets, elaborate doll clothes, hats, socks, scarves, and even stuffed animals. There was hardly anything she couldn’t sew.
Carol is survived by her daughter Laura (Josh Engel); daughter Ellen (Kevin Pike); grandchildren Jocelyn and Ivy Engel; Reese and Eddie Pike; sister Kathy (Don) Twieg, nieces, nephew, and friends. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Barney and Helen Rees, husband Roger, and sister Mary Jane Berryman.
She was sharp and funny, she loved her children and grandchildren, she was a life-long reader and teacher, whether she was teaching language arts to eighth graders, sewing to refugee women, or baking to her daughters. Almost all of her life was spent in service to others, and she will be deeply missed. Her memory is a blessing.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 am at the Second Unitarian Church of Omaha. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be donated to Refugee Women Rising (https://www.refugeewomenrising.org/) and Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska, GRRIN (https://grrin.org/ ).
Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler, West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road, Omaha, Ne 68124. (402)-391-3900. www.heafeyheafey.com
3 Comments
Carol has been a bright light in the Cottonwood Quilters Guild. I enjoyed her smile and seeing her at our monthly meetings. She will be missed.
Roger and Carol with their daughters, Laura and Ellen, were our “kitty-corner” neighbors for the 10 years we lived in Prairie Lane, SW Omaha. Carol had bountiful stands of iris plants. We received some of the fruits of her baking talent, always well-received, quickly eaten. Ellen was a good friend of our Elizabeth and they enjoyed reading the same books; even lead me to read Little Women and others that I had missed in my childhood. What wonderful neighbors they were and always enjoyable to sip tea and chat at their kitchen table with Carol.
She found us The Reyes and Medina family. She was a good story teller. My family had often wondered what happened to her fathers family, she was able to fill in the gaps. I shall always cherish her stories about her father and Mother and family. Thank You my cousin. Until we meet again. I will miss you. Hugs and Condolences to her family and friends.
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