Carol Lynn Marking

Carol Lynn (Rowe) Marking of Brice Prairie, Wisconsin, 86, passed away on April 9, 2022. She was born December 14, 1936, in West Salem, Wisconsin, to Norman Noble Rowe and Maude (Pond) Rowe.

A graduate of West Salem High School, Carol married the love of her life, Leif Marking, in 1954. She captured his eye while roller skating in West Salem. Carol and Leif briefly lived in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, during Leif’s military service. They returned to the Marking family farm in Holmen, Wisconsin, then moved to Brice Prairie, where they raised their three children in their beloved river home, “Marking Manor,” along the Black and Mississippi rivers.

Carol loved her family. She opened her house to enrich the lives of her children, friends and relatives. She was a Girl Scout leader, and the Marking house on the river was a favorite gathering place for boating, swimming, waterskiing, canoeing, fishing, hunting, hockey and general tomfoolery.

She was a graceful figure skater and helped many kids learn to skate. Many also remember Carol teaching them to water ski. Carol, in the water holding the newbie upright, made sure the skis were straight and the cord tight before shouting “Hit it” to Leif in the boat.

Family vacations usually were spent on the Mississippi, camping and traveling by boat, going as far north as Taylors Falls on the St Croix River.

Carol was the great-granddaughter of Gideon Pond, who arrived by steamboat at Fort Snelling (St. Paul) in 1834, and was the first Christian missionary in the future Minnesota Territory. She loved her visits to the historic Gideon Pond House in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was a proud member of the Pond Dakota Heritage Society.

Faith education was important to Carol. She taught Sunday School at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in West Salem and at First Lutheran Church in Onalaska. In later life, Carol and Leif became members of Holmen Lutheran Church.

Her children especially enjoyed the summers that Carol rose at 4 a.m. to work at a bakery in West Salem. They knew that when she returned home at 10 a.m. she would have day-old treats for hungry swimmers.

At age 46, after receiving a mechanical drafting degree from Western Wisconsin Technical Institute, she began working for Johnson Controls. Carol was also a research assistant to Marion Havlich, sampling and researching mussels on the Mississippi River.

Carol beautified the world with her gardens and floral arrangements. She served as an officer of the Wisconsin State Garden Club and was a longtime member of the Brice Prairie Garden Club. A wonderful baker, she was well known for her pies. Carol remembered everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries and used her computer to create a custom card for each celebration. Her favorite button on the computer was “delete”, much to the chagrin of Leif and her son, Steve.

She was a talented quilter. Her children have quilts that she made, and they cherish the love that went into each one. Artistically blessed with her hands and eyes, she brought the river into her home by painting a beautiful mural of a marsh in silhouette.

Carol was a devoted wife and loved her life with Leif, from gatherings with their many friends, to river trips, and traveling to Norway and Jamaica. A gold member of the Sons of Norway, she loved her husband so much that she went with him to many lutefisk-lefse dinners, all the while dreaming of a ham and cheese sandwich.

As much as she loved life on Brice Prairie, she loved being at Snertingdal, the Marking Family Farm, high on Marking Ridge, even more. During her later years, she and Leif spent most of their time there. She enjoyed the “Christmas in June” Marking family gatherings held there, the beautiful views and watching hummingbirds and turkeys.

Carol is survived by her sister, Barbara (Rowe) Premo, and her three children, Marlon Marking, Mary (Beaner) Boldon and  Steven (JoAnn) Marking.

She was preceded in death by her dear husband, Leif; her brother, Norman Rowe, and her sister, Roberta (Ken) Sprain.

Carol’s final resting place will be at Neshonoc Cemetery near West Salem, next to Leif, whom she has missed so much this past year.

The family wishes to thank the Eagle Crest community for their kind care.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 16, at Holmen Lutheran Church, 228 Morris St., Holmen, Wisconsin. Pastor Allison Cobb will officiate. Friends may visit with the family at the church from 9:30 a.m. until time of services.

Mailed condolences may be sent to: Dickinson Funeral Home, 1425 Jackson St., La Crosse WI, 54601. Memorials may be given to Holmen Lutheran Church, 228 Morris St., Holmen, WI 54636, or the Pond Dakota Heritage Society, P.O. Box 20511 Bloomington, MN 55420.

Online condolences may be given to the family at www.dickinsonfuneralhomes.com