Carole Margaret (Mueller) Martens, 69, of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, passed away on Aug. 27, 2025, at Eagle Ridge Memory Care in Osceola, Wisconsin.
Carole was born on Sept. 27, 1955, in Baltimore, Maryland, to John and Gloria (Clausen) Mueller. She grew up in Maryland and Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in education. Soon after, she moved to Wisconsin, where she spent her entire career teaching in the Amery School District as both a classroom and reading teacher.
In 1983, Carole married Randall Martens in Amery, Wisconsin. Together they raised three children and ran Martens Jewelry in St. Croix Falls. Carole was a dedicated mother and loved traveling, spending time with family and friends, crafting, teaching, and playing music with her group in retirement.
She is survived by her husband, Randall; children, Laine (Jason) VanBuskirk of Ventura, California, Carl (Julia) Martens of Oakdale, Minnesota, and Brenna (Benjamin) Norman of Clemmons, North Carolina; her mother, Gloria Mueller; siblings, Gloria Jones, Janet DeMorrow and William Mueller; aunts, Ruth Clausen, Ceal Mueller and Janet Strom; and grandchildren, Cameron Martens, Josie and Jordan Norman, and Jack and Randall VanBuskirk. She will also be missed by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Carole was preceded in death by her father, John; brother-in-law, Chris DeMorrow; her grandparents, and her in-laws.
The family would like to thank Eagle Ridge and Adoray Home Health and Hospice for the compassionate care they provided Carole.
A memorial will be held 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Redeemer Ev. Lutheran Church in St. Croix Falls, WI, with a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church, luncheon to follow. Pastor James Krueger will officiate. Carole will be laid to rest at Ellsworth Cemetery in Darwin, Minnesota, at a later date. Arrangements are with the Grandstrand Funeral Home, Osceola, WI. Condolences may be expressed online at grandstrandfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials in Carole’s name which can be directed to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Research Initiative at:
give.wakehealth.edu/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app273a?df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=51BB3C28FE954ECA60E039C30E7BE00F or another charity of your choosing.
