Carol Klingbeil

Broken Bow, NE- Carol Klingbeil age 82 of Broken Bow died Thursday February 4, 2010 at the Jennie Melham Medical Center in Broken Bow. Funeral services will be held Monday February 8, 2010 at 10:30 AM in Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow with Pastor Bob Winn officiating. Burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery with Govier Bros. Mortuary of Broken Bow in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will be held Sunday 1 PM to 6 PM at Govier Bros. Mortuary. Memorials have been established to the Jennie M. Melham Hospital Foundation. Carol Hickman Klingbeil was born April 6, 1927 to Fred and Della Hickman at their home in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Two older brothers, Bill and Chester, welcomed her. Her parents allowed her to choose her own middle name, and she chose Mavis, which she never used afterwards. Carol attended school in Broken Bow and graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1945. Two years later, while on a double date with his friend, she met Mike Klingbeil, an army veteran from Callaway. They married on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1947. A daughter, Cheryl, was born, and 20 months later, twins Linda and Lynne completed a very busy family. In her 82 years, Carol never lived more than four or five blocks from the home where she was born. Carol’s working career began in high school as the bookkeeper for Brown McDonald’s. She opened the store, counted out money for the cash register drawers, and took the deposit to the bank on her way to school in the mornings. Later she was the bookkeeper at the Gambles store. Carol worked her way through the court house, serving as clerk for the Custer County Sheriff, Judge, Treasurer, Veteran’s Service Officer, and retiring as Clerk of the District Court. Shortly after retiring, she missed contact with the public and went back to work at Gibson’s as a checker. Over the years Carol participated in extension club, the Rebekah Lodge, DOES, and VFW Auxiliary. She was a member of Faith Bible Church. The most important thing to Carol was her family. She was a room mother at school, a 4-H club leader, chauffer to football and basketball games. One outing with four 15-year olds to a roller skating party in Ravenna left her with a broken wrist, in the passenger seat as she coached the only girl with her driver’s permit on the trip back home. Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren received packages of cookies in the mail. From her hospital bed last week, she made arrangements to have her Valentines mailed. Carol was creative. She sewed dresses for her girls, formals, a wedding dress, Barbie clothes, even drapes. In her last 20 years, she took painting classes and became a talented artist. Preceding her in death are her husband Mike, her parents, Fred and Della Hickman, and two brothers, Bill Hickman and Chester Hickman. She is survived by three daughters, Cheryl (Roie) Black of Austin, TX, Linda Crist of Moreno Valley, CA, and Lynne (Dave) Nuss of St. Paul, NE; five grandchildren, Beth Gross of St. Paul, NE, Scott Coryell of Lees Summit, MO, Kelly Keesecker of Colorado Springs, CO, Emily Mason of Riverside, CA and Darren Crist of Moreno Valley, CA; 11 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, 3 sisters-in-law, Ellen Hickman of Broken Bow, Mariel Klingbeil of Callaway, and Lisa Klingbeil of Vista, CA, and a host of friends who miss her.