Carole Doreen Bendtsen (nee Johnson)

LIVESTREAM SERVICE:

Carole's Livestream Service will begin at 11 .a.m. CT on Friday, April 10, 2026. Scroll down to the Webcast section and click on “Watch Now.”

MADISON - Carole Doreen Bendtsen (nee Johnson), Madison, Wis., died surrounded by her loving family on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the age of 89. Born on April 6, 1936, to Chester and Esther (nee Johnson) Johnson in Superior, Wis., Carole recalled an innocent childhood growing up, walking to visit her Aunt Min (Melinda) for homemade cookies often after school, and a special relationship with her family’s housekeeper, Alice, as Esther worked full-time at Western Union to help support the family. Carole had one older sister, Betty (Johnson) Byrnes, to whom she was devoted, as demonstrated by her providing in-home skilled nursing care to Betty for the last three years of Betty’s life.

Carole graduated from Superior High School in 1954 and attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., for one year. During the summer after her first year at St. Olaf, she met a handsome dark-haired man, Bennie Alan “Al” Bendtsen, on a double date. However, Carole’s date was Alan’s brother, Gary, but Al and Carole only had eyes for each other. Married on September 15, 1956, she put her dreams of becoming a nurse on hold to start a family with her beloved Alan. They had three sons in rapid succession before Carole was 25 years old: the “three rascals,” James (Jim), Lee, and Daniel (Dan). A photo of Al seated in a lawn chair smoking a cigar, being waited on by his doting “my three sons” and Carole, was featured on the front page of the Wisconsin State Journal on Father’s Day in the late 1960s.   

In 1969, Carole and Al learned about the Committee of Responsibility, a group that paired war-injured children from Vietnam needing medical care with foster families in the U.S. Although they had their hands full with their own three active boys, Carole and Alan opened their hearts and their home. After housing a young Vietnamese teen, Tho, who was undergoing reconstructive facial surgery at the University of Wisconsin, Carole and Alan became foster parents to a series of babies-eleven total-born and awaiting adoption in the U.S. Even their three young sons took part in caring for them. Carole remembered those days so fondly: in an article about Alan and Carole in a Children's Hospital Foundation newsletter, she said, "That was a joyous time." There were challenges, too-from the inevitable sleepless nights to the pain of parting after several months of loving a child. But looking back, Carole said, "I learned a lot about what I wanted my life to mean. And we deepened as a family; the experience shaped our own sons as they became fantastic parents and community members."

Later, Carole returned to school to complete her goal of becoming a nurse. While balancing the demands of being a wife and mother, Carole managed to achieve first in her graduating class. After graduation, Carole worked for over 30 years as an R.N. at Associated Physicians of Madison, and she was proud to care for thousands of patients and have strong working relationships with the other nurses, staff, and her doctors, Dr. Price and Dr. Olson. She enjoyed picking up nursing shifts at Associated Physicians even after retirement, as her strong need to nurture and care for others continued until her last breath.

Carole was a proud and active member of Midvale Community Lutheran Church (ELCA) and participated in the Midvale choir for many years. Carole was a bookworm, birdwatcher, music lover, great cook and hostess, and relished a strong cup of coffee at any time of day. Throughout her life, she was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, neighbor, and - the role she relished most of all - grandmother. She is survived by her loving husband, Alan; her three sons, James (Brenda Skelton), Lee (Siri) and Daniel (Jurgita); eight grandchildren, Joel, Sarah (Malick) Bendtsen Diedhiou, Daniel (Shannon), Julie, Bethany (Charlie) Bendtsen-Schumann, Ernanda (Joshua) Holder, Gabriella and Jacob Bendtsen; and four great-grandchildren, Naveya Bendtsen, Finn and Kilian Diedhiou and Arthur Ole Bendtsen. She was predeceased by her sister, Betty; brother-in-law, Jim; as well as many friends. Carole’s best friend and bonus sister for over 60 years, Stevie Gjovik, will miss her deeply, as will her special cousin, Judy Johnson, both of whom modeled the love of Christ in their frequent visits during these past two years. She leaves behind a legacy of family, love, and seemingly boundless compassion. Carole left the world a kinder place for every person whose life touched hers. She will be missed deeply by her friends and family, most of all her loving and devoted husband of 69 years, Alan.

The family would like to recognize the loving care provided to Carole by so many: Barb Hegna, the hospice volunteer who quickly became a bonus family member; Rev. Ken Smith, visitation pastor, Midvale Community Lutheran Church; the remarkably attentive medical, nursing, chaplaincy, companionship, social work, and music therapy providers of Brighton Hospice; the loving and perceptive care team of Blu Grotto Memory Care; the incredible food service workers at Vista West Senior Community, Madison; and others too numerous to name. Carole told each of her caregivers that they were her favorite, and indeed each one was very special to Carole! A special thank you to Blu Grotto’s Dawn Kleinfeldt for her extraordinary caring touches during Carole’s long journey with Alzheimer’s.

Memorial gifts are suggested by the family to Brighton Hospice, 1350 Deming Way, Suite 400, Middleton, WI 53562. Please mail checks to the address shown or leave with Gunderson staff when attending the visitation. And/or, to Children’s Wisconsin Foundation to support the Foster Care Program in Madison, WI, by donating online at https://giving.childrenswi.org/ and indicating “Foster Care Program in Madison” as the gift area, or via mail with a note or memo to support the Foster Care Program in Madison, to Children's Wisconsin Foundation, CCC Suite 220, P.O. Box 1997, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1997.

A celebration of Carole’s life will be held at MIDVALE COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026. Family and friends who wish to view the celebration via LIVESTREAM may visit Carole’s obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com at the time of the celebration and click on "Watch Now" in the Webcast section. A luncheon will follow the celebration at the church on Friday. Visitation will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Ave., Middleton, from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, 2026, and also at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the celebration on Friday.

To be a mother of a son is one of the most important things you can do to change the world. Raise them to respect women, raise them to stand up for others, raise them to be kind.

- Shannon L. Adler

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West

Funeral & Cremation Care

7435 University Ave.

(608) 831-6761