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Carolyn Kessler, 85, of Creston, died Friday, March 8, 2024, at Creston Specialty Care in Creston. Celebration of Life Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 16, at Salem Lutheran Church in Creston. Services will be livestreamed at a link under the obituary at www.powersfh.com. Pastor Evan McVann will officiate. Open visitation, with family receiving friends, will be 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Afton at a later date.
Memorials are to the Salem Lutheran Church or Care Initiatives Hospice of Greenfield. Online condolences may be made at www.powersfh.com.
Carolyn Ann Swanson was born Sept. 16, 1938, to Anna Christine (Johnson) Swanson and Alvin John Swanson in Howard County, near Wolbach, Nebraska. Her family moved to Afton in 1941 and she attended school in Afton, graduating from high school in 1956. After graduation she worked as a key punch operator at an insurance company in Des Moines.
Carolyn was united in marriage to Gary Kessler Dec. 24, 1956, in Creston. After marrying, they moved to Belleville, Illinois, Scott Airforce Base, until July 1957, then transferred to Lincoln Airforce Base in Lincoln, Nebraska. On Sept. 16, 1960, they moved back to the farm in Afton to farm with her father.
They sold the farm in 2006, moved to Creston and after her lung cancer diagnosis, moved to Pleasant Hill, near Des Moines. As her health continued to decline, Carolyn agreed to move to the care center in September 2023. Carolyn was a homemaker as her children grew up and sold Beeline Fashions for many years.
She was a member of the Salem Lutheran Church in Creston since 1941, and was president of the Airman’s Wives Club. She enjoyed painting Norwegian Rosemaling and wood carvings, playing golf and loved watching birds and having cockateels as pets.
Survivors include her husband, Gary Kessler of Creston; son, Alan Kessler of Des Moines; one brother-in-law, Joe (Sandra) Kessler of Creston; her sister-in-law, Nancy (Tom) Hawks of Creston; five grandchildren: Blake Kessler, Nathan Kessler, Dustin Rawlings, Sarah Kessler and Andrew Kessler and three great-grandchildren: Avery Kessler and Sophia and Kaiden Rawlings.
She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Cindy Kessler-Rawlings, in 1987; her son, Scott, in 1993 and her three brothers: Stanley, Lamoyne and Don Swanson.