Carol Jean Kopsell

Carol Jean Kopsell, 83, lovingly referred to as “Nonie” by her family, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2026, in Delavan, Wisconsin, surrounded by the love of her family and friends and in the compassionate care of the St. Croix Hospice nurses and staff at Vintage on the Ponds.

Carol was born in Woodstock, Illinois, where she grew up and attended St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School and Marian Central High School. On December 19, 1959, she married Charles “Chuck” Kopsell. They started raising their two children, Don and Connie, in Hebron, Illinois. In 1971, the family moved to a small farm near Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and in 1998, Carol and Chuck moved to Delavan.

Carol spent the first five years of her life and many summers with her Aunt Myrtle, Uncle Cecil and cousins Cloyd and Betty. She enjoyed fishing, early morning coffee and burnt toast, league bowling and tournaments, gardening, cooking for her family, making chocolate chip and Christmas cookies, and watching birds from her window.

Carol worked as safety director for Jones Bus, a substitute aide for the Elkhorn Area School District, and a volunteer for Lakeland 4-H and the Walworth County Fair supporting the 4-H and open class beef shows. She loved her golden retrievers and collected angels to celebrate her long journey as a cancer survivor for over 30 years. Carol and Chuck drove to Texas for many years to enjoy the sunshine, warmer weather and trips across the border to Mexico.

Carol was the true heart of her family: the glue that held everyone together. Her love was unconditional and deeply felt by all who knew her. As the matriarch of the family, she led by example, showing what it means to care for others, to persevere through life’s challenges, and to always put family first.

Carol was determined to be present in the lives of those she loved. Whether in person or through a text, phone call, FaceTime, or comment on a shared photo, she stayed connected. She never missed sending cards filled with love, encouragement, pride, or simply to let someone know she was thinking of them. She celebrated holidays, birthdays, graduations, weddings, sporting events, family gatherings, and the everyday moments that mattered just as much.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Chuck; children, Don (Joyce) Kopsell and Connie (Dan) Schoenberg; grandchildren, Katie (Chase) Scott, Valerie (Alex) Belfor, Spencer Schoenberg, and Tate (Sierra) Kopsell; great-grandchildren, Liam, Riley, William, and Andrew; cousin, Cloyd (Joan) Porter; step-grandchildren, Freddy York, Tiffany (Ethan) Dobbs, and Tyler (McKenzie) York; and many beloved relatives and dear friends.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Loretta Wurtzinger; parental figures, Cecil and Myrtle Porter and Howe and Ada Willis; cousin, Betty and her husband Mark Wieners; sisters, Judy Shouse and Catherine Fringer; mother-in-law, Anna Heather; father-in-law, Melvin Kopsell; sisters-in-law, Vera Meister, Louise Coulman, and Dolly Kopsell; brothers-in-law, Michael Shouse, William Meister, and Ralph Coulman; son-in-law, Robert Richter; and many cherished friends and extended family members.

A Celebration of Life honoring Carol will be held on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Haase-Lockwood Funeral Home in Elkhorn. Visitation will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 2:30 p.m., officiated by Chaplain Ray Paez. Online guest book available at www.haaselockwoodfhs.com.

Though you are no longer by our side, we will never walk alone; you will always be with us, watching from above.