Caroline “Carol” Mary Kumbalek, 88, of Manitowoc, died peacefully on January 1, 2022 at St. Mary’s Nursing Home at Felician Village in Manitowoc surrounded by her family.
Carol was born on December 22, 1933 in Manitowoc, the daughter of the late Raymond George and Marie Bridget (Knier) Schuh. She was a 1952 graduate of Lincoln High School in Manitowoc. She and Charles Max Kumbalek married in 1955 and celebrated 44 years together. In addition to raising their three children, she spent most of her working life in Early Childhood Education/Daycare. Carol loved baking, and her cookies and home-made anise candy made Christmases magical. Door County was a special place for the whole family, and she was a very good sport about camping in a pop-up trailer on summer vacations at Peninsula State Park. In her later years, she took great joy in making greeting cards on her computer for her family and friends. All children were special to Carol, and she was absolutely delighted to have five grandchildren. She was a long time member of St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Parish, Two Rivers.
Survivors include her son, Steve (Betsy) Kumbalek, Blanco, TX and two daughters, Karen (Joe) Novy, Brillion, and Mary (David) George, Arbor Vitae; grandchildren: Bryan (Lauren) George, Pineville, NC; Mike Kumbalek, Oklahoma City, OK; Victoria Novy, Green Bay; Katie Kumbalek, Denver, CO; and Andrew Novy, Brillion; sisters Lorraine Koeppel, Virginia Hackbarth, and Janice (Ronald) Schaden; brothers Ronald (Mary Jo) Schuh and Kenneth (Mary Ann) Schuh. Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Charles M. Kumbalek, her parents Raymond G. and Marie B. (Knier) Schuh; sister Delores Schmatz and brothers Raymond G. Schuh and Arnold J. Schuh.
A funeral service to celebrate Carol’s life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Parish, 3201 Mishicot Road in Two Rivers. There will be a visitation starting at 11:00 am at the church. Please wear a mask regardless of vaccination status if planning to attend. The service will be live streamed at 1:00 pm on the St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Parish YouTube and Facebook pages at https://www.spfcp.org/
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to Felician Village, designated for Resident Activities in memory of Carol. Donations may be sent to Felician Village, attention Renee Thompson, 1635 S. 21st Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 or online at www.felicianvillage.org
Expressions of sympathy can be made to the family by visiting www.lakeshorefamilyfuneralhomes.com
Jens Family Funeral Home and Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements.
Carol’s family would like to thank the staff at Felician Village for their dedication and care. We are especially grateful to Tim Reinemann and Amy Meyer, who facilitated family video visits and kept Carol active while living at Felician Village.
