August 27, 1933 ~ August 10, 2023
Carol was born on the Eastside of St. Paul, MN, to Walter and Ann Leopold on August 27, 1933. She spent her early childhood living on the Eastside surrounded by relatives and an ethnically diverse community, mostly immigrants from eastern and southern Europe. She had fond memories of her playmates who although having a different language, and culture, would somehow find a way to befriend one another. She liked retelling those stories.
When Carol was eight, her father died due to a construction injury he received while building a neighborhood playground on the Eastside. A few years later, Carol’s mom remarried to Charles Schrodt. Carol referred to him as dad. The family relocated to Newport, MN, where she attended St. Paul Park Senior High.
While living in Newport, she met Everett Christenson. They fell in love and married in 1951. They were together over 30 years until Everett Christenson died of a heart attack in 1984. They had three children, Everett Jr., Anna, and Joy. During the course their marriage they lived in Portsmouth, VA, Newport, West St. Paul, MN, and Inver Grove Heights, MN. Carol made close friends wherever she lived.
In the late 1980s, she remarried Robert Coleman. They were happily married until Robert’s death in 2022.
Carol worked as a cook, waitress, and manager of Mickey’s Diners in St. Paul. She did a cameo performance on Mighty Ducks 1 as a cook at Mickey’s Diner. She loved to talk about the famous people she met while working at Mickey’s Diner. She also had the secret recipe for Mickey’s Diner’s baked beans. She told no one the recipe; not even her family. After 30 years of dedicated service there, the owner gave Carol free meals anytime she wanted. She never took up the offer.
Carol loved to cook; visit family and friends; watch American Idol, America’s Got Talent, and like-minded shows; work in the garden; eat; garage sales; watch movies on the Lifetime network; ice cream and popcorn; Chinese buffets; and to have a good laugh with family and friends. She had a flare for the comic. She is noted for her loyalty to family, her hard work, her generous spirit, her faith in God (she always had a bible near), and her genuine love and acceptance others.
Carol is preceded in death by her father, Walter; her mother, Ann; her stepfather, Charles; her husband, Everett Sr.; her husband, Robert; her daughter, Joy; and her many friends. She is survived by her children Ann and Everett Jr.; her grandchildren Tommy, Chrisy, Peter, Johnny, Heather, Holly, Emily, Caleb, Conor, and numerous in-law grandchildren that she would ask about frequently (especially Sheyenne who checked on her daily towards the end her journey on earth); and her 20+ great grandchildren.
Carol died 17 days short of her 90th birthday. She will be missed.