Carol Lou (Koehler) Kelley passed away peacefully in her sleep June 26, 2025, in the Paradise Valley home she shared with her loving husband of 61 years, Dale.
There will be a memorial potluck at noon Monday, June 30, at their home in Paradise Valley on Kootenai Trail Road.
Carol was bornin Bonners Ferry September 19, 1945, to Frederick Otto and Freda Eileen (Vinion) Koehler. This is the part she would chime in with “five minutes before” her identical twin Kathy. A tomboy at heart, she was raised in Libby with her siblings Ross, Pete, Emily Jean (Bugs) and twin Kathy McLeish, who still resides in Paradise Valley.
She was competitive from the start, arriving first at birth, and she was known to beat everyone at a game of marbles, especially the boys of the neighborhood. She had a natural ability to out-fish whoever she was fishing with. Carol attended all 12 years of school in Libby. She was often on the honor roll and graduated with the Libby High School Class of ’63.
As twins, she and Kathy did so much together, and that included attending the bi-monthly dances at the Curley Creek Grange Hall, where both twins met the young men, they would share their lives with. Carol married her life-long love, Dale, on October 12, 1963, in Libby.
They were blessed with four children: Kennerd (Markell), Anna (Delton) Amoth, Freda (Dan) Jansen and Marcus (Misty), nine grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. Carol was involved with her church-sponsored Boy Scout Troop helping several boys achieve their Eagle Scouts.
She was quite patriotic and stayed true to her beliefs and values. She enjoyed embroidery and the challenge to make the back look as good as the front.
She always had the most loving, nonjudgemental advise when asked and was deemed the best mother-in-law ever. Family was very important to her. She was so proud of and attentive to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Each one has a special nickname and knows they were her “Favorite”.
She was lovingly called “Grandma Flash” for all the fun pictures taken.
Carol adored Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell’s values and thoroughly enjoyed dancing to his nostalgic songs. She loved and cared for everyone she met. She was kind, thoughtful and considerate to everyone.
She enjoyed fishing with her husband, Dale. They went steelhead fishing on their 50th anniversary in the dark.
Carol is preceded in death by many loved ones and was surely greeted in heaven, by sweet little faces gone before.
She will be sorely missed and leaves us with many beautiful memories as she returns home to her Father in heaven.
Another beautiful soul to add to his heavenly garden.