Carole A. Gretzer (Walther)

Carole A. Gretzer (Walther), age 73, of New Prague, Minnesota, after living for 43 years in Edina, died 9/21/13 after losing a short battle with a very aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Carole loved God and joined her New Prague family in dedicating their lives and new home to Christ.

Carole was survived by those she lived with: her loving husband of 50 years, Tom Walther; daughter Janice Walther; and granddaughter Arianna. She was also survived by son John (Brenda), granddaughters Maya & Renata, beloved cousin Phil Russell, and many friends and family.  Carole's husband, Tom informed us that they got to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary just 4 months before her death.

After living in Edina for 43 years the Walthers opted for a more laid back lifestyle and bought their current home in New Prague just weeks before Carole was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and began chemo treatments.  Tom and Carole had married within a year or so after she graduated from college and she was a homemaker for all but the first few months of their married life.

Everyone knew Carole as a kind and caring person who put others first.  She was blessed with many personal friends and enjoyed her two granddaughters by their son John and their granddaughter who was adoped by their daughter Janice.  Two of those granddaughters came to live with Carole and Tom several years ago when Janice chose to home school Arianna. Carole most loved being "Nana", second mother, teacher, and best bud to Arianna, whom she taught to cook, sew, appreciate life, and know how much she is loved. Her last words were of Jesus and love for her family.  They all had a good life together and miss Carole very much.

A Visitation was scheduled for Friday 9/27/13 at 4:30pm, and a memorial service at 5:00pm, with a light meal which followed, all at the Cremation Society chapel, 7110 France Ave. S. Edina 952-924-4100. Memorials to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated, even after so many years.

This obituary notice was published on September 24, 2013.  Those of us responsible for keeping this "In Memory" entry just learned of Carole's passing on June 16, 2018, nearly 5 years after her death.  We can only apologize for this very late entry; but trying to find and keep track of all our classmates is a never-ending effort.  For those of you who knew and loved Carole throughout her life, we hope that you were present at her funeral and thereby expressed your personal remorse for her loss to her family.  For the rest of us, we surely lost a wonderful classmate and wish for Carole's surviving family a blessing that they had such a wonderful wife, mother and mentor.