Carol Ann Haycraft, 82, Luverne, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at the Fairmont Hospital in Fairmont.
Visitation with a prayer service was Saturday, Jan. 7, at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Burial followed at St. Catherine Cemetery in Luverne.
Carol Mielke was born to Leonard and Marcella (Mueller) Mielke at their home in New Ulm, Minnesota, on May 1, 1940. She was baptized and confirmed at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in New Ulm. She attended school in New Ulm and graduated from Holy Trinity Cathedral in 1958. She worked for the New Ulm Daily Journal for much of her childhood and young adult years. She delivered the New Ulm Daily Journal at a young age, then worked as a teletype setter, and in high school and after graduation she worked in the advertising office of the Journal.
Carol married Richard Haycraft on Sept. 24, 1960, at Holy Trinity Cathedral. Following their marriage, they resided in New Ulm and then moved around for a few years before settling down in Luverne.
Carol started working at the Luverne Elementary School as the school secretary in 1974. She was recognized as the Friend of Education for the Luverne School District in 1989. Carol retired from her position in 2002. In retirement she worked as a receptionist at Salon 75 until 2017. In January 2021 Carol moved to Fairmont and became a resident at the Goldfinch Estates memory care facility.
Carol was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. Carol and her husband, Richard, enjoyed lake time at their cabins with their kids and grandkids. They had a place on West Okoboji, then bought a small cabin on Lake Darling in Alexandria, and eventually bought a place called “Ethan’s Little Acres,” a former resort on Lake Ida in Alexandria, with accommodations for all of their family, including siblings.
Carol’s hobbies included scrapbooking, making quilts for family members, golf, bowling and Farkel. She also loved to cook her favorite German food and was a collector of angels, dolls and miniature shoes. She enjoyed coffee and weekend outings with her friends. Carol also cherished time spent with her family, watching her grandkids grow up and attending their many sport and school events.
Carol is survived by her three children, Cory (Larry) Ziegler of Luverne, Randy (Kim) Haycraft of Fairmont, and Chris Haycraft (Mark Vargo) of Blaine; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ruth (Dick) Koppen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Jan Ginn of New Ulm; a brother, Leonard Mielke of Cedar; and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard (1991); her parents; and a brother, Richard “Blackie” Mielke.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
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