Cover photo for Caroline Majhanovich's Obituary
1927 Caroline 2021

Caroline Majhanovich

1927 — January 1, 2021

Lakewood, Colorado

Caroline Shipley Wilde Majhanovich, 94, passed away on Saturday, November 27, 2021, at her home in Lakewood, Colorado.  She was born January 25, 1927, in Rock Springs, the daughter of Matthew Shipley Wilde and Elizabeth Reynolds Wilde.

Caroline grew up in a home filled with love, generosity, and humor.  They didn't have much yet they had everything. Her father was a coal miner and her mother a homemaker.  She had eight birth siblings and an adopted sister.  Two of her sisters died before she was born.  She attended schools in Rock Springs and graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1944.  After high school, she worked as a waitress and at Sweetwater Country Memorial Hospital.

On July 3, 1948, she married Steve Majhanovich.  He preceded her in death on March 16, 1987. They had one daughter, Carole Ann.  Caroline was a stay-at-home mom during the fifties and most of the sixties.  She also helped manage Steve's Trailer Court which Steve constructed as extra income for his parents, Bob and Mary, and brother Albert.

She loved to cook and dappled in various needlework projects.  She belonged to a bowling team, a bridge club, and "May I" card club.  She and Steve spent their time at their first cabin outside of Pinedale, Wyoming.  In 1972, they moved their summer place to "The Ponds "near Boulder, Wyoming. The Ponds was part of the East Fork Rod and Gun Club founded by Steve in 1960.  Besides going North, they enjoyed gambling and spent two winters in Las Vegas.

In the late 1960's, Caroline, worked as a receptionist for a plumbing and heating company couple of years.  In 1972, she started working at the Rock Springs Rocket Miner writing classified ads and proofreading.  She retired in 1984. Caroline was active in the Sweetwater County Democratic Party. When Steve was serving in the Wyoming State Legislature (1965-1984), every Wednesday evening during the sessions, Caroline would take the Amtrak train to Cheyenne and spend time with Steve until Sunday.

After Steve's death, she continued spending summers at The Ponds with her brother-in-law John and sister-in-law Angie. Holidays, special occasions, and vacations were spent with Carole and her family in Lakewood.  In 1996, Caroline was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  Fortunately, surgery was successful, and she became a 25 year cancer survivor. In 1999, her "other daughter" niece Sharon Plemel moved into her which was wonderful for her.  In 2004, Caroline moved to Carmel Oaks Independent Community in Lakewood to be close to her daughter and family.  She was a very active member of the community playing cards and games of all kinds and participating in all social events.

More than anything, Caroline enjoyed children. She was known as "Teta" (Slav for aunt) to everyone even kids who weren't related.  Whenever someone needed her to babysit, she was there to play cards, read stories, play. Her greatest joys were her granddaughter Jessica and great-granddaughter Grace Caroline who called her GG.  They played her last game of cards with her on Thanksgiving.

Caroline's unconditional love, humor, and generosity will sustain her family.  In the words of Mark Twain, "My mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart-a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it and hospitable accommodation."

She is survived by her daughter Carole and husband Jeff Belf, granddaughter Jessica and husband Doug Vincent, and great granddaughter, Grace Caroline. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Lois Wilde, Godmother Dena Bogataj, and many, many nieces and nephews and their children. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings: sisters Elizabeth, Mary Alice, Margaret Cukale, June Schultz, Norma Telck, Ann Engstrom, and brothers Matt, Tom, and Bob.

Her family is so grateful to her caregivers, Joan and Berta, and Bridges nurses Michael and Rene, who took care of her.   Because of them, she was able to stay at home. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to Bridges Hospice, 3895 Upham Street, Suite 100, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 on the memo line reference Donation-Wheat Ridge.

Cremation will take place and a private committal service will be held at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver where Steve was buried.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Caroline Majhanovich, please visit our flower store.

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