Obituary of Carolyn Ruth Kaiser

Carolyn Ruth Kaiser passed away December 22, 2017 at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado of congestive heart failure and related organ failure. She passed peacefully with her husband, daughter, and friend by her side. Carolyn was born November 27, 1941 to Frederick E. and Ruth Sophie Marie (Schmidt) Maetten in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended Lutheran grade school, then Lutheran High School Central in St. Louis from 1955 to 1959 where she enjoyed chorus and glee club and became a "pepsi-holic" and an avid fan of White Castle (belly bombers) hamburgers. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia majoring in home economics (and husband hunting). On June 25, 1961 she married Lt Lyman Kaiser at Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Missouri and left to become an Air Force wife. Their twenty-five year military career carried them first to Texas (where she became an honorary citizen of the state of Texas); then March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California; Tucson, Arizona; Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico for three years; Scott AFB, Illinois; Yokota AFB, Japan for three years; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; and finally Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs in July 1984 where Lyman retired in 1986. Carolyn enjoyed traveling and had many great memories of her travels in the Caribbean and Far East, even getting caught in a bloodless coup in Bangkok, Thailand. The last thirty-four years had been spent living in the shadow of Pikes Peak; America's mountain. Other travels included an Alaskan inner passageway cruise, 50th anniversary vacation with the entire family in London and Paris, two vacations in Italy, a trip to Australia to visit Lyman's sister and family, and family vacations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.Carolyn enjoyed craft shows, especially shopping for Santa's to add to her collection of over 450, as well as Hummels, Simpich dolls, and much more. During her years in Colorado Springs she was active with the Girl Scouts (one year as the "cookie lady" for El Paso County), spent several years on the board of the state Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented, over ten years on the Colorado Springs Friends of Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFSRM) Innkeeper banquet committee, and over fifteen years as a member and president for two years of the local Zeta Tau Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA) sorority; a philanthropic, educational and social society. Carolyn is survived by her husband of fifty-six years, Lt Co Lyman Louis Kaiser, U.S. Air Force, (Ret.); two sons, Michael Allen (Michael Ann) Kaiser of Kansas City, Missouri, and Vincent Lee (Elaine) Kaiser of Adrian, Michigan; daughter, Amy Joyce Kaiser of Longmont, Colorado; and four grandchildren, Erika, Megan, Quinton, and Dalton. She is also survived by her two sisters, Patricia Ann Maetten, and Merrily Joyce (Bruce) Goldsmith of Arnold, Missouri; her brother, Theodore John (Suzzann) Maetten of Union, Missouri; and her dear Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Zeta Tau chapter sisters, Girl Scout friends, and LFSRM friends.Memorial Service, 11:00AM, Thursday, December 28, 2017, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4125 Constitution Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909. A luncheon reception will immediately follow in the church's Hiller Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Carolyn's name to Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, 363 S Harlan Street #200, Denver, Colorado 80226 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 Street Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Events Service Thursday, December 28, 2017 11:00AM Holy Cross Lutheran Church 4125 Constitution Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-328-1793