Carolyn Nell Anderson Lagerberg, 89, died June 22, 2014. She was born in 1925 to Swedish immigrants Carl Emil and Hilda Nelson Anderson on the family farm in Republic County, Kansas.
Carolyn graduated from Agenda High School in 1943 and received a degree in education from Bethany College, Lindsborg, KS in 1945, where she then taught fifth grade at Soderstrom Elementary School. In 1947 she married Donald Lagerberg, the love of her life, at her family home. Their marriage lasted fifty years, until his death in 1997.
Carolyn lived the rest of her life in Salina. She was involved in her children’s PTAs and schools from 1956-1979; and she volunteered with numerous community and civic organizations, including the Salina Symphony Guild, the Salina Public Library, the Salina Treble Clef Club, and Asbury Hospital, where she served as the coordinator of the gift shop.
She was a member of Salina’s First Covenant Church for 66 years, where she taught Sunday School; co-founded the Cradle Roll, which evolved into the Mother’s Hour program; participated in Covenant Women; the Newcomer Care Team, reaching out to new members; the caring ministries, volunteering meals for over 60 years; and the church music ministries, including singing duets with her husband Don, as well as solos, trios with Ann Ross and Wanieta Penner, and alto in the choir for 60 years. Her church and her commitment to her faith were of paramount importance to her. She read her Bible daily, even with a magnifying glass, until her eyesight failed, and she prayed for her family and friends every day.
The thing Carolyn enjoyed most in life was being with her family, especially her grandchildren. She loved traveling to Texas and Tennessee to visit them, and when they planned to come “home,” she eagerly counted the days until they arrived. She was a fierce Skip-Bo player and relished defeating the grandchildren; she gleefully took second place in her last round only five days before her death.
Carolyn was a hostess extraordinaire, delighting in preparing mouth-watering meals and setting a beautiful table to share with others. She had the gift of making people feel warmly and genuinely welcome, and no houseguests ever began their homeward journey without a sack stuffed to the brim with sandwiches on homemade Swedish rye bread and other goodies to sustain them during their travels. Carolyn never turned down an invitation to be with others – she absolutely loved people!
Survivors include two sons, Gregg Lagerberg (Jill) of Knoxville, TN, and Jeff Lagerberg (Laurie) of Heath, TX; one daughter, Greta Lagerberg of Salina; 3 grandchildren, Adam and Brett Lagerberg of Heath, TX, and Carin Lagerberg of Knoxville, TN; her sister Pat (Irv) Hoffman of Hutchinson, KS; her sister-in-law Faye Ellen Anderson of Garden City, KS; and many special nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Donald Lagerberg, her parents Emil and Hilda Anderson, her siblings Delbert Anderson, Doris Stavlund, Margaret Nelson, Merrill Anderson, Irene Toll, and Carol Anderson.
Burial will take place at Roselawn Memorial Park on Wednesday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 10:30 at First Covenant Church, Salina, with the Rev. Doug McHenry officiating.
The family suggests memorial gifts to Brantford Covenant Church, 287 8th Road, Clyde, KS 66938.
Ryan Mortuary, 137 Eighth Street, Salina, KS 67401 is handling the arrangements.
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Mary Evelyn Dayg, 59, of Salina, died Thursday, June 19, 2014. She was born March 23, 1955, in Washington, D.C., the daughter of David and Joan (Loader) Day. She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, Garron Cooper.
She is survived by two daughters, Tish Miller and husband Gary, of Newton, and Mandy Miller, of Wichita; son, Jason Bezdek, of Pensacola, Fla.; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services will be announced by the family at a later date.