Carol M Moorhouse
Carol was born in Carver County, Minnesota on March 20, 1937. She was the youngest of 12 children (2 siblings died in infancy). Her parents were Ernest and Lillie Bartels.
Carol grew up in Carver and Norwood, MN. She lived on a farm and went to school in a one-room schoolhouse across the road from the farm. She had a lot of fun living on the farm. There were 5 boys and 5 girls. When she was born, she was already an aunt from the oldest sister, Myrtle. Carol and her niece, Violet, went to school together.
When she was in her junior year of high school, she developed Rheumatic Fever and had a heart murmur the rest of her life. She missed most of her junior year but was able to graduate from Belle Plaine High School on time (with Violet).
After high school, she moved into a rooming house and worked as a waitress for a while and then a local business.
She met James H Moorhouse in the fall of 1955 at an old time German dance. He was from Minneapolis. They were married in Chaska, MN on July 28, 1956.
They lived in a small apartment after marriage and had Pamela Jean (Moorhouse) Sawyer, while living there. They inherited a two-story apartment building on Minnehaha Ave in Minneapolis, MN. They lived on the bottom level and rented out the top floor. This is where their two sons were born, James Kevin Moorhouse and Greg Alan Moorhouse.
They sold the apartment building in 1962 and bought a modest home in St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. Carol worked for Beeks Pizza in the evenings, and it was always a fun time on Friday’s because she would come home with a free pizza.
Jim worked for Bostitch Inc, they sold staplers and stapling guns. He was transferred to northern Minnesota in 1964, and they bought a home on Upper Hay Lake in the town of Pequot Lakes. Everyone loved living there and we enjoyed the lake all year. Swimming and fishing in the summer and ice fishing and skating in the winter.
In 1966 the family was transferred to Salt Lake City, UT and Jim worked for Bostitch Intermountain. Carol was a Campfire Girl leader and was active in her Lutheran Church.
In 1968, the family was transferred to Boise, Idaho, where Jim and Carol remained the rest of their lives.
Carol was a Boy Scout den mother and was active in all PTA activities. She was always busy doing crafts, knitting, crocheting, tole painting, and bowling. She was also active at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Boise, she was part of the Altar Guild, and she would listen to the children recite bible verses, while her children were in confirmation classes. She also took up golf and once while golfing she got a hole in one. Over the loudspeaker someone said, “Way to go Carol!” she thought it was God speaking to her.
After all the children were grown up and out of the house, she took a senior citizen class at Boise State University on how to use a computer. She worked for the Forest Service during the class and then she got a job at the Boise Department of Motor Vehicles working in the driver’s license office. She worked there for about 5 years before retiring.
Carol loved all her grandchildren and made them all kinds of gifts.
She is preceeded in death by her husband, James H Moorhouse, son James K Moorhouse, and her parents and siblings.
She is survived by her daughter, Pamela Jean (Moorhouse) Sawyer, husband Steve Sawyer. Son Greg Alan Moorhouse, wife KayLynn Moorhouse. Grandchildren: Holly Fairchild (daughter of Carol’s son James), Jennifer Sawyer, Bradley Moorhouse, Shawn Moorhouse. Great Grandchildren: (from Holly Fairchild) Caitlin Moorhouse, Jadyn McCane, and Ethan McCane; (from Shawn Moorhouse), Soren Moorhouse.
Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.