Carol’s Obituary Rapid City – Carol Elizabeth Fitzgerald Simpson, 85, died Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at Rapid City. Carol lived a life in Christ. The Bible verses from 2 Tim.
4:6-7 apply to Carol and she surely believed them: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 2, 1933, Carol was a proud graduate of the first graduating class of Christian High School (now Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington, MA) 1950.
Carol married John E. Fitzgerald on June 12, 1954. Carol and John had five children while living in Massachusetts before moving to Aurora, Colorado in 1969. The family moved to Rapid City in 1973.
Carol was an active and one of the founding members of the Rimrock Evangelical Free Church. Carol was a realtor and could never understand why anyone would not want to live in the Black Hills. Carol served as a member of the SD House of Representatives for Pennington County from 1993 to 2000.
She loved her adopted state, her neighbors and lived a life of service. On September 27, 2003, Carol married Franklin O. Simpson. Carol and Frank were never interested in retirement.
Together, they continued to be active in business and dozens of charitable causes. As Frank says, “Carol was a doer”. Carol’s large extended family was her joy and she counted all of their achievements as her own.
In addition to family, work and service, Carol loved to travel. The Black Hills were home, but she enjoyed returning to New England and visiting her family in Nebraska and Alaska. When she passed away, she was planning the next family reunion for the coast of Maine in June.
Carol is survived by husband, Franklin O. Simpson, five children and spouses, John H. and Mary Jo Fitzgerald (Spearfish), Mark D. and Jacqueline M. Fitzgerald (Norfolk, NE), Timothy M. and Nanette M. Fitzgerald (Rapid City), CaraBeth and Gregory M. Faulk (Anchorage, AK), Elyce J. Fitzgerald and Ronald L. Kocourek (Rapid City); eleven grandchildren, Sara Fitzgerald, John M. Fitzgerald (Kelly Peterson), Megan Poppen (Brett), Katherine Kucera (Alex), Grace Fitzgerald, Daniel Fitzgerald, Ben Beebe (Janelle), Blake Beebe, Elisabeth Redlinger (Mike), Allison Karlik (Jeff) and Mark T. Fitzgerald, 9 great grandchildren, Frank’s 5 sons and their families. . She is predeceased in death by her parents, Herbert and Lillian Mathisen.
Memorial gifts can be sent to Passages, Women’s Transitional Living P. O. Box 9614 Rapid City, SD 57709 Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 pm Thursday, February 7 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, 2700 Jackson Boulevard. Funeral Service will be 11:00 am Friday, February 8 at Rimrock Evangelical Free Church, 12200 West Highway 44, rural Rapid City. Burial will take place at Mt.
View Cemetery. Arrangements are with Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.
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