March 4, 2024 – Papillion, NE – Carol Ann Schacht Fischer, 89, passed away peacefully at her Papillion, NE home on March 1, 2024.
Carol was born in West Bend, WI on September 17, 1934, the first daughter of Vera and Edward Schacht. She grew up in West Bend in a family of four sisters and one brother.
As a young woman, Carol worked as a secretary in Milwaukee, WI. A roommate and friend introduced her to Lowell W. Fischer, a handsome young Air Force cadet. Carol and Lowell were married on December 28, 1957, during a blizzard in West Bend, WI.
As Lowell rose through the ranks from Lieutenant to Lt. Colonel in the USAF, Carol was a devoted military wife. She was the matriarch and the glue that held their family together during moves to the corners of the US and Lowell’s many overseas missions.
She made sure their six children were connected to their extended family, driving every summer to Wisconsin to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They were married for 61 years before his passing in 2019.
Carol was a quiet leader who led her life with grace and a subtle wit. She had many friends during their military years and connected to neighborhood friends once they retired in Papillion, NE. Her house was always open to her children’s friends, many of whom entered without knocking and felt as comfortable there as they did in their own homes (or more so). Home was her haven, the place she wanted to be.
She was a talented pianist who tried, with varying degrees of success, to get all of her children to play. Her hands produced the most beautiful knitting, crocheting, and needlework for her family and friends. She regularly marked life’s milestones–weddings, babies, new homes–with needlepoint pieces. Carol was a faithful member of St. Columbkille Catholic Church. She was an avid reader and daily crossword puzzler.
While most of her work was in and about the home, Carol worked at Geni’s Hallmark in LaVista for fifteen years. She was a devoted letter writer with impeccable penmanship and wrote many letters to family and friends on carefully chosen Hallmark cards. Her collection of Hallmark ornaments and Santas would rival anyone’s.
Carol is survived by her children Bill Fischer, Lisa Wheeler, Tony Fischer (Zofia), Tracy Fischer, Susan Fischer, and Jennifer Fischer; grandchildren William, Joe, and Sam Fischer (and their mother, Mary), Caroline and Chase Wheeler; sister Barbara Schacht and family friend Lillian Wiegel, brother-in-law Sonny Braun, sister-in-law JoAnne Schacht, and many special nieces, nephews, and friends.
A very special thanks to her daughter, Jennifer, who was her primary caregiver and allowed her to age safely and comfortably in her home, and to the nurses at Bergan Mercy Hospital and St. Croix Hospice. We are grateful for your care and help.
Mom, your memory will always be in our hearts.
Viewing and Visitation: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 5–7 pm, Kahler-Dolce Mortuary, 441 N Washington St, Papillion, NE
Service: Thursday, March 7, 2024, 10 am, St. Columbkille Catholic Church, Papillion, NE, luncheon afterwards
Interment following at 12:30 pm at Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Rd, Omaha, NE
