Carol Lee Gustafson (Conklin) 83, Thief River Falls, MN, passed away on Friday, May 22, 2020, at Minnesota Greenleaf in Thief River Falls, MN.

A Gathering Time for family and friends will be held from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Graveside service will be at 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 30, 2020 at Community Cemetery in St. Hilaire, MN with Rev. Bert Foster officiating. CDC Guidelines will be followed.

Carol Lee Conklin was born on August 26, 1936, in Thief River Falls, MN to Eber and Thea (Burstad) Conklin. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls. On November 13, 1954, she married Merle Gustafson in St. Hilaire, MN. Together they had seven children: Barry, Treva, Todd, Mike, Blair, Sheila, and Troy.

Carol was a busy mom who raised seven rambunctious children and also helped on the farm where, in their early years, they raised turkeys and chickens, then switched to dairy. She was known for her excellent cooking and baking skills. No one ever went hungry at Carol's house! In her younger years, she had a huge garden and canned and froze much of the families' vegetables. She was also a skilled seamstress and did beautiful sewing and needlework. Carol always took great interest in her children and grandchildren. She attended countless football games, wrestling matches, band concerts, plays, and anything else going on.

After Merle passed away on May 5, 2006, Carol stayed on their beloved hobby farm for several years, maintaining beautiful gardens and a large yard. She then moved to a Senior Living facility until she moved to Assisted Living and then Memory Care.

She was an active member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Thief River Falls. She sang at many funerals, weddings, and church events in her younger years and was active in Women's Bible Study.

Carol is survived by her seven children: Barry (Lynn) Gustafson, Loveland, CO; Treva (Jon) Bohm, Mentor, MN; Todd (Nancy) Gustafson, Greeley, CO; Mike (Rosemary) Gustafson, Thief River Falls, MN; Blair (Vicki) Gustafson, St. Hilaire, MN; Sheila Johnson, St. Hilaire, MN; Troy Gustafson, Plummer, MN; Family Friends, Wayne Johnson & Fran Skadsem, 20 grandchildren: Jennifer, Matthew, Danielle, Joshua, Travis, Andrew, Dustin, Tyler, John, Jason, Angella, Tiffany, Lacey, Brittany, Jordan, Preston, Chasity, Courtney, Brooke, and Dylan, 29 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother, Frank Conklin and four sisters, Mae Trottier, Ruby (Otto) Folkers, Thelma (Warren) Hatteberg, and Ruth (Bruce) Garlock, and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Merle, parents, brother-in-law LeRoy Trottier, sister-in-law Dottie Conklin, and an infant sister Mary Ann.

Carol's family would like to say thank you to the wonderful staff at Minnesota Greenleaf and Hospice of the Red River Valley.