Carol Rose Whitcomb

Carol Rose (Duerfeldt) Whitcomb passed away peacefully on June 19, 2025, at the Pathways hospice facility in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was born on July 17, 1931, the daughter of Laurence Clyde and Gladys Thelma Duerfeldt, the third of their four children. She was raised on the family farm in southeast Nebraska, attended rural schools and graduated from Nemaha High School in 1948. She then attended Peru State College and graduated with a major in music education. Her first job was teaching vocal music in elementary schools in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, where she met her future husband Kenneth who was teaching mathematics at Plattsmouth High School. Her allergies made it difficult to live in southeast Nebraska, so she took a job in Denver, Colorado where Kenneth also moved to be near her. She and Kenneth were married on July 31, 1955, and lived their first year together in Denver where she continued to teach at Bryant-Webster Elementary School and Kenneth taught mathematics at Manual High School. In late spring of 1956, Kenneth took a job in the Mathematics Department of Colorado A&M College (later Colorado State University) and they moved to Fort Collins. They had four children over the next eight years: Roger, Mark, Sheri, and Duane. Carol was a stay-at-home mom until her children were in school and then she started working as a library clerk and helped to setup the new Blevins Junior High School library before it opened. She earned a Master of Arts in Educational Media degree from the University of Northern Colorado a couple of years later and was then promoted to head librarian. She retired as the librarian in 1988. Music was always an important part of her life. She started playing violin but her principal instrument was the flute. She played flute in the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra for 22 years and was a frequent flute soloist at the First Methodist Church in Fort Collins. She was also active in vocal music. Early on, she directed the Methodist church choir in Plattsmouth Nebraska and she sang in the First United Methodist Church choir in Fort Collins for many years. Ken and Carol were active members of the First United Methodist Church almost from the start. Besides singing in the choir and playing flute, Carol participated in committees and attended Samaritan Sunday School class regularly. Carol was a kind and gentle soul. She was quiet but had a strong moral compass. She always insisted that her family do the right thing. When things started getting contentious, with a short strong statement, or even just a look, she could set things back on the right track. Home cooked meals were the norm and there were always dinners together as a family. Her fruit pies were to die for, especially the strawberry-rhubarb-banana pie. Some of the family even loved her beet pickles. Just don’t ask her to eat seafood. Despite that, she always made oyster stew for her husband on his birthday. Her sewing machine was busy much of the time, as she made many of the kids’ clothes and some of her own. She also enjoyed needlepoint, making jams, applesauce, and other canned vegetables from Kenneth’s garden (in addition to the legendary beet pickles) . She enjoyed traveling with her family. In their RV, the family visited much of the U.S. and parts of Canada and often visited their extended family and friends in other parts of the country. In retirement, she visited Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Denmark, and Israel. Her siblings (Donna Pryor, Ellen Clements, and Dean Duerfeldt) as well as their spouses all preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, four children, 6 grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Carol had a long and fruitful life and will be deeply missed. Services will be held at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins, 1005 Stover Street, at 11:00 am on July 8, 2025, with interment at the church Columbarium immediately afterward. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested donations to the choir program of First United Methodist Church, which Carol was an integral part of for many years. To donate go to the church website at https://www.firstchurchfc.org, click on the “Give” button in the upper right corner and select the “Music Department Restricted” fund. On the payment page add a note that says: “In memory of Carol”.

Tributes

Carol Rose Whitcomb

July 17, 1931 - June 19, 2025