Carol J. Nordengren

Carol Jean Nordengren never submitted a formal resumé for a job application, but if she had, her list of credentials could have filled several pages.

A longtime Port Washington resident who embraced service as a way of life, she wore dozens of hats as a volunteer during her 92 years of life.

Carol contributed her time and talents to organizations such as the Port Washington Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, Port Washington, Saukville Jaycettes, and St. Ben’s Community Meal, served as a Brownie Scout leader, W.J. Niederkorn Library aide and teacher’s aide at local elementary schools, and was a founding member of the Lincoln Elementary School Breakfast Club. She served on the Port Washington Parks & Recreation Board for 34 years and was an election worker for the City of Port Washington for more than 10 years.

“She was always busy. I never saw her lay on the couch,” said Patti Lemkuil, one of Carol’s five children. “She never had time for that. The dishes would get done after dinner, and then she would cross-stitch or needlepoint, or maybe watch a TV show. But there was never relaxing for her during the day.”

When Carol died Aug. 18, 2025, at Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in Sheboygan Falls, she was surrounded by all her children — appropriately so because being close to family topped her priority list.

Carol was born May 27, 1933, in Milwaukee, one of three children of Stephen and Rose (Wenzler) Haering. She grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated in 1951 from Wauwatosa High School, where she met her future husband John Nordengren.

After attending Mount Mary College, she married John on Aug. 7, 1954, at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Wauwatosa. The couple eventually moved to Port Washington, where they raised their family.

Carol was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Port Washington.

A high-energy person with a strong work ethic, Carol became adept at juggling domestic chores with community service. Her husband spent much of his working years as a traveling businessman, with job assignments sometimes requiring him to fly abroad. That left Carol to maintain the Nordengren household, caring for children, shopping, preparing meals, balancing checkbooks and handling unexpected emergencies.

“She ran our household like a tight ship,” said Susan Krier, Carol’s oldest child. “Everything had a place, and she believed everything should be in its place.”

Peggy Savatski, another of Carol’s children, remembers her mother’s efficiency as a homemaker. “She had a plan of what to do every day,” she said. “Laundry was done on one day, cleaning the upstairs was on another day, cleaning the downstairs was on another.”

A talented seamstress, Carol made many of her children’s clothes, including her daughter Patti’s wedding dress. She used her culinary skills to prepare a variety of dishes and desserts, both for home meals and donations to food drives.

“Every Sunday she would make a loaf of bread,” Susan said. “She would knead it and let it rise, and then put it in the oven, and when we came home from church, it was all ready.” Carol had a talent for restoring furniture and home decorating, and was an avid reader, especially enjoying historical and romance novels. She and her husband loved traveling and took numerous trips to Europe. Their favorite destination was Scotland, which they visited several times. Carol and John also enjoyed vacationing in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., with their children and grandchildren.

Her zest for life and fun-loving personality helped Carol and her husband attract a group of loyal friends who shared countless hours together at parties, dinner outings and other social gatherings. She and her friends had a long-standing coffee klatch as well as bridge and stockmarket clubs.

In her later years, she was given the nickname ChiChi, a moniker she liked so much that she had it embossed on the license plate of her car.

“She had a nice circle of friends who stayed in touch for years,” Peggy said. “She loved to entertain, and she loved and appreciated the finer things in life. She was a classy lady.”

All of Carol’s children remember her as someone who loved tradition and celebrating holidays, especially Christmas.

“For me, the fondest memory was Christmas morning,” Patti said. “The packages were always perfectly wrapped. She really went out of her way to make it special for us.”

“And she always made birthdays special for each of us kids,” said Holly Ostermann, another daughter. “My birthday is close to Christmas, but I never got a birthday present wrapped in Christmas paper.”

Besides her devotion to family and friends, Carol was motivated by a strong sense of civic and social responsibilities. She is believed to have served on the Port Washington Parks & Recreation Board for more years than anyone, and she was the first female vice president of that board.

Carol’s volunteer work in school activities extended beyond her children’s years. She served as a reading and health-room assistant and in her 80s helped establish the Lincoln School Breakfast Club.

Underscoring Carol’s commitment to service was a spirit of fairness and respect for others, her children said. “She also had a strong religious faith that helped her through good and bad times,” Holly said.

Carol’s son Christopher Nordengren will always remember his mother’s dedication to family. “I have lived in Ohio since 1989, and whenever I have talked with her on the phone, she would always ask how everyone in my family was,” he said.

“Even when she was having health issues, she was concerned that everyone was OK. And she would always say, ‘Tell them all that I love them.’”

Carol is survived by five children, Susan Krier of Belgium, and Holly (Steve) Ostermann, Peggy (Mark) Savatski and Patti (John) Lemkuil, all of Port Washington, and Christoper (Sue) Nordengren of Powell, Ohio; eight grandchildren, Michael Savatski, Marc (Lisa) Savatski, Macayla (Dwayne) Simpson, Eric Nordengren, Emily (Tyler Whitfield) Nordengren, Evan Nordengren, Jack Lemkuil and Kate Lemkuil; and three great-grandchildren, Olivia and Sawyer Savatski, and Jaxen Savatski; and sister-in-law Carole Suttner.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Stephen (Elaine) Haering, sister Rosemary (Ray) Miller, grandson Maxwell Savatski, son-in-law Jim Krier, brother-in-law John Suttner and many other relatives and friends.

A funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Port Washington. Visitation will follow the service. Private burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington.

Mueller Funeral Home is assisting the family.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank Home Instead senior caregivers Gretchen and Bri; Sharon Richardson Hospice nurses Bri, Gretchen and Megan; and Sharon Richardson Hospice caregivers Tracy, Sheri, Jennifer and Cynthia.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in Sheboygan Falls or the ALS Association.