Carol Fairbanks

CAROL FAIRBANKS

Anamosa

Carol Fairbanks died peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, after a 7 1/2-year adventure with multiple myeloma.

Private family graveside services were held at the Cass Center Cemetery, Anamosa. A public memorial service will be scheduled at a later time. Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, has taken Carol and her family into their care. Please sign the guest book on Carol's page at Goettschonline.com. Cards and memorials may be sent to the family at 13982 County Rd. X31, Anamosa, IA 52205, or dropped off at Goettsch Funeral Home.

Surviving are her husband, Charles; two children, Suzy (Terry) Kaufman and Doug (Jody) Fairbanks; her daughter-in-law, Jill (Terry) Kennebeck; 11 grandchildren, Nathan (Alycia) Kaufman, Joshua (Samantha) Fairbanks, Rachel (Josh) Weston, Ryan (Kira) Kennebeck, Alissa (Kyle Pegorick) Fairbanks, Justin (Sarah and Madi Innes) Kaufman, Brady Kennebeck, Pierce, Abby, Kaylee and Luke Fairbanks; a grandson of the heart, John Dirks; three great-grandchildren; siblings, Gail Nederhiser, Sharon (Bob) Hasler, John (Donna) Bader and Dorothy (Roger) Rupp; and in-law, Jo Marie Bader. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Dennis; special aunt, Dorothy Richardson; brothers. George and Larry Bader; and in-laws, Don Nederhiser and Bernice Bader.

Carol Ann Bader was born Aug. 22, 1945, the fifth child of seven born to Leonard (Hub) and Marguerite Iaggi Bader, at the John McDonald Hospital, Monticello, Iowa. She was the third girl to be born in two years and arrived on her brother Larry's fifth birthday. Carol attended Castle Grove No. 3 school for nine years, walking two miles each way. She graduated from the Monticello community schools with the Class of 1963. Carol grew up on her parents' farm west of Monticello, and she and her siblings worked with their parents to run the farm. She met the love of her life in the spring of 1962 while doing the milking on the farm. Charles was a milk sampler for the ISU Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Her father refused to let them date that summer because he didn't know Charles that well. In the fall of 1962, they met again at the Anamosa-Monticello football game. Carol asked Charles to attend a church roller skating party with her, and their courtship started.

Carol Bader and Charles Fairbanks were married on Dec. 7, 1963, at the Peace United Church of Christ in Monticello. They started a dairy farm near Anamosa in 1964 and still kept their jobs off the farm as well. She had worked at the Jones County Extension Service, Farm Bureau Insurance, the Anamosa Vet Clinic and Jones Regional Medical Center. They were blessed with three children, Dennis Charles in 1965, Suzann Elaine in 1967 and Douglas Alan in 1970. Dennis married Jill Postel, Suzy married Terry Kaufman and Doug married Jody Knake, blessing them with grandchildren, Joshua, Alissa, Nathan, Justin, Pierce, Abby, Kaylee and Luke. Dennis passed away in 1997 at the age of 31. Jill got remarried to Terry Kennebeck, and they gained three stepgrandchildren, Rachel, Ryan and Brady. Carol and Charles always have done everything together, so when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011, Carol followed in 2013.

Carol had many blessings in life. Charles and family were her first loves, then her artwork and gardening, sewing, and love of the outdoors with all the beauty of the birds and flowers. There were very few things that Carol could not do in life when she set her mind to it, except reach the top shelf in the cupboard. Carol was an active member of the First Congregational UCC of Anamosa.

The family would like to thank Dr. Chirantan Ghosh and staff who have become family to us with the dedication and compassionate expertise shown to the entire family, the Mayo Clinic Team of Dr. David Dingli who have been great through the 7 1/2-year journey of stem cell transplants and two Car-T procedures and, last but not least, Above and Beyond Hospice for their comfort and care shown at this stressful time.