Carol Chadwick, 1924-2021

Carol Chadwick, 1924-2021. Photo provided
Carol Chadwick, 1924-2021. Photo provided

LUDLOW, Vt. – Carol was born as Carol Agnes Jones, Dec. 13, 1924 in Gary, Ind., to her mother Gesiene deHoll Jones and her father Herbert R. Jones. Her father tragically died when Carol was only 2 years old. Nonetheless, Carol happily reminisced about living with her sisters and her mother at her maternal grandparent’s home in Chicago.

Her grandfather, Henry deHoll, was her first strong father figure. Even during the Depression, he indulged his granddaughters frequently, building them a playground that included a merry-go-round that made them the most popular girls in the neighborhood. Carol often recalled spending summers traveling the Great Lakes with her sisters Dora and Janet on ore freighters provided by her grandfather’s company.

Carol’s mother, Gesiene, married John Crissey when Carol was 9, and the family moved to Davenport, Iowa. Carol was adopted by her new father, and her name became Carol Agnes Crissey. World War II broke out in Carol’s last year of high school. Despite the war, Carol graduated from Rockford University in Rockford, Ill., with a major in psychology.

Carol’s first job after college was in western Massachusetts, where she lived with her aunt. However, after the war, Carol moved to Manhattan and worked as a child psychologist. Through work friends Anita Goldberg and Randall Chadwick, Carol met her future husband, Robert Alan Chadwick of Old Greenwich, Conn., whom she married Feb. 4, 1950.

Carol and Robert lived in Westerly, R.I. then Jamestown, N.Y. During that time, they had four children: Susan, Robin, Elizabeth, and Robert. In 1964, they moved to Northern Minnesota after Robert sold his manufacturing company to his brother Randall. Carol found life in Minnesota to be a bit of a challenge, but she enjoyed working as a librarian in the Detroit Lakes, Minn. library. She also enjoyed reading, sewing, knitting, and nurturing her family. She always encouraged her children to get a good education.

Carol’s real passion in life was in creating a huge genealogy of the family. She was able to trace ancestors back over 400 years, including finding two from the Mayflower. She published the family genealogy on both Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com.

In later years, Robert and Carol retired to Winter Haven, Fla., where they were able to relax with friends and family. Upon Robert’s passing in 2003, Carol moved to Long Island, N.Y. to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Carol and her daughters moved to Ludlow, Vt., in 2014. She passed away at home in Ludlow, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, surrounded by her family. Carol is survived by her sister Janet Roberts; her children Susan Chadwick, Dr. Robin Chadwick with husband Dr. Peter Jenkins, Elizabeth McNally, and Dr. Robert B. Chadwick with husband Randy Herbig; her grandsons Dr. Daniel Jenkins, Dr. David Jenkins, Kristopher Mindermann, and Matthew McNally with his wife Brittany McNally; and her great-grandchildren Kate and Capri McNally.

The family will hold a celebration of Carol’s life in spring. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Habitat for Humanity or the ASPCA, two charities that Carol supported throughout her life.

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