Carol Charlotte Klongland

MADISON- Carol Charlotte Klongland, age 85, passed away on Aug. 19, 2018, surrounded by immediate family at Attic Angel Place, Middleton, where she had lived for the last five years.  Carol was born in Minneapolis, Minn. on Dec. 23, 1932, to Julia Clara (Friedrich) and Paul John Volkert.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church.  She attended Immanuel Lutheran School, North High School, and the University of Minnesota, all in Minneapolis.  She received a degree in elementary education and went on to teach third grade.  Later in life she was a mother, homemaker, statistical clerk, office worker, dance choreographer/teacher, writer, and business owner.  At various times she has lived in Minneapolis, Minn.; State College, Pa.; Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Madison, Wis.; Monona, Wis.; Harmony Grove, Wis.; and Middleton, Wis.  An acrobat in younger years, Carol found her life-long avocation of Modern/Creative Dance in high school in the late 1940s. Throughout her life she took classes, choreographed, and performed, including adding Spanish Dance to her repertoire while living in Brazil.  In Madison she performed and taught with Madison Dance Council, UW Extension, and Unitarian Dance Fellowship.  She took classes with many UW Dance Department teachers. She was the recipient of Wisconsin Dance Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.  After moving to Attic Angel Place she continued to choreograph and perform with her long time dance friends and artistic Attic Angel Place residents that she inspired to join her.  In later years, Carol performed while seated on a chair or her four wheel walker.  Recently, her sense of humor became a part of performances as she sought to not only broaden the audience but also to give insights to the meaning of the dance.  In addition to dance, Carol enjoyed her Writing Group, reading (and later being read to), and had an insatiable appetite for jokes and one-liners. Her computer brought her closer to friends and family via email, and Googling allowed her to explore all sorts of topics.  In 1991 Carol married George Klongland and together they ran Action Insurance Agency in Monona, Wis. for many years.  The agency was sold but still operates today serving Monona.  With George, she enjoyed taking long road trips, often with South Padre Island, Texas as a destination.  They also enjoyed living on Lake Wisconsin and taking walks with the three boxer dogs they had at different times.  Carol was a member of Monona Evangelical Lutheran Church in Monona, Wis. and often took pleasure in their one day bus trips taking her to places in Wisconsin she had never visited. She leaves behind to mourn, her children, Charles (Ruth Bronston) Buse, Madison, Wis. and Paul (Susan) Buse, Hollywood, Fla; grandchildren, Kristin (Fritz) Bratschie, Avon, Colo. and Michael Buse, North Miami Beach, Fla.  Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Julia Clara and Paul John Volkert; second husband, George A. Klongland; and sisters, Ruth Kratzke and Betty Diersen.  A memorial service will be held at MONONA EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, 4411 Monona Drive, Monona, at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. Visitation will be at the church from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the service on Friday. There will also be a dance, poetry and non-denominational spiritual service with Carol’s dance, Attic Angel and other friends at Attic Angel Place on a date yet to be determined. The family gratefully thanks the staff of Attic Angel Place and Agrace HospiceCare for the loving and tender care they provided to Carol. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Carol’s name may be made to Attic Angel Resident Aid Fund, Attic Angel Association, 640 Junction Rd, Madison, WI 53717, www.atticangel.org/giving  or Agrace HospiceCare, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI. 53716, www.agrace.org/donate or Wisconsin Dance Council Scholarship Fund, PO Box 707, Madison, WI, 53701-0707, https://wisconsindancecouncil.org/donate/ Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Dr. (608) 221-5420