The Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage, AK, Friday, June 13, 2025

Cam Carlson of Fairbanks, Alaska, beloved wife/Mom/Grams, passed away in comfort and peace with her children at her side on Mar. 1, 2025, at the age of 84. She was born to Earle and Rosalind (Salter) Olson in Waukesha, Wis., on Jan. 14, 1941. Cam was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Carlson on Dec. 24, 2024; and her sister, Marilyn Hooper. She is survived by daughter, Kris Carlson (Dean Bumstead); son, Devon Bumstead; son, Brett Carlson (Jillian Simpson); daughters, Xan Carlson and Atigun Simpson; daughter, Kelly Guarino (David Guarino) and her daughter Anna Stringham; elder brother, Earle Olson; younger brother, Dennis Olson; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; many dear friends, old and new. We all carry her light forward into the future. Please visit legacyalaska.com for full obituary and photos. A Celebration of Lives for Bob and Cam Carlson will be held Saturday, July 12, 2025 from 5 - 8 p.m., at Pike's Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks. We will gather to honor the lives of Bob and Cam and celebrate their community. Following the formal program, there will be informal memory sharing and socializing, with music and nourishment provided. All are welcome, RSVP is appreciated, but not required. We invite you to send memories, stories or videos to share. To attend the formal program remotely, a request can be made for a video link. Email contact for our event: bobandcamcarlson@gmail.com.

Camille “Cam” Rosalind Olson Carlson of Fairbanks, beloved wife/Mom/Grams, passed away on March 1, 2025, at the age of 84. She was born to Earle and Rosalind (Salter) Olson in Waukesha, Wisconsin on January 14, 1941. Cam was born into a tight-knit family of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, with families living close to each other, gathering for holidays and summer reunions. This family togetherness was a positive force in Cam’s young life and shaped a sense of community she carried forward in her life. Cam was a spirited child with boundless energy and her childhood was one of adventure and activity. Music was integral to her life and she learned to play piano, violin/viola, and oboe. She sang in choirs with a clear rich alto voice. She possessed a natural athleticism that allowed her spirit to soar – ice skating, swimming, bicycling, and running. Her running speed was legendary among her peers. To this day, she has male cousins and classmates who remember Cam beating them in impromptu foot races across the schoolyard or down the neighborhood street. Her favorite subject in school was PE and it was her 2nd grade PE teacher who inspired her path in college. She noted he wore white Keds and pants to “work” every day and decided with conviction that was going to be her “grown up” self. When it was time to launch herself into the adult world, Cam headed to University of Wisconsin-Madison to study PE and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 1964. It was there she met her love and future husband, Robert “Bob” Carlson. They met in the dish room at the dorm cafeteria where they both worked. From the stories, it is unclear who was flirting with who. Their courting years enveloped free-spirited outdoor fun – sailing on Lake Mendota, alpine skiing in Colorado, picnics and camping excursions. Cam and Bob were wed on February 10, 1962. Cam’s style was simple, informal, and she was unafraid to buck convention. To her mother’s horror, she cut off the long train on her wedding dress to make a more comfortable and pleasing “tea-length” gown. Cam was captivated by the allure of Alaska from a young age, so when Bob’s job offers included a teaching position in civil engineering at University of Alaska-Fairbanks, she was all in. They enthusiastically loaded up their new blue GMC Suburban with their firstborn nine-month-old child and headed north to Alaska in the spring of 1965. After Bob’s first year teaching at UAF, it became apparent he would need to return to Madison to complete his thesis. At Cam’s urging, he took a leave of absence from UAF and they returned to UW-Madison. Cam applied her tireless energy to the project of typing up her husband’s thesis, pecking it out word by word with her two-index-finger typing technique. In August 1968, with Bob’s PhD in hand and now two children in tow, they returned to Fairbanks. They built a beautiful home in the hills above Fairbanks, nestled among the birch trees. Cam was at Bob’s side throughout the building process, flourishing in the finish work and exterior staining. This house on the hill became her “little piece of paradise”. There she was immersed in the great outdoors and the wonders of nature, and she embraced the beauty of Interior Alaska in all seasons. She was especially fond of winter and the gorgeous snowy transformation of the world around her. Come summer, she reveled in the explosive growing season and planted abundant colorful flowers around her home and church. Cam’s spirit resonated with life in Interior Alaska and thrived with the independent nature of living there. She was devoted and conscientious with all aspects of raising her three children and supporting her husband in his professional capacity as a professor at UAF. She was proudly a “Homemaker” and “Mother of 3”. She put her sewing skills to work in making traditional arctic parkas with fur ruffs and creatively trimmed them with reflective tape to keep her kids warm and safe while waiting for the school bus in the dark winter months. She was intent on raising her kids with well-rounded culture, taking in the unique opportunities of Alaskan living, as well as traditional swimming lessons, piano lessons, learning to play a band instrument, yearly family passes to FLOT productions, church involvement, and of course supporting them in all sport activities, especially family cross-country ski adventures. She was committed to staying connected to family and friends in the Lower 48 and orchestrated multiple family summer road trips to Wisconsin, down and up the Alaska Highway in the Suburban. Creating a “family” in Alaska, she enjoyed entertaining in her home, pulling together family friends for holiday meals and “throwing picnics” in the summer. Alongside activities devoted to raising her family, Cam’s life became deeply connected to service in the Fairbanks community and was a self-described “citizen volunteer”. She lived with purpose, passion and conviction, and possessed boundless energy to get things done. She threw herself into myriad roles in various organizations. She had a unique ability to survive on very little sleep and was a true night owl. When she had a project she had committed herself to, she would “burn the midnight oil” to get it done by deadline. Cam was an active participant in life. She was an initiator, facilitator, and organizer – a skillset for which she received the “Spark Plug Award” from one group. She often took on positions of leadership, with directorships and membership on boards and committees in a variety of organizations. She truly grew into the title of Volunteer Extraordinaire. From the start, Cam became a member of UAF Women’s Association, where she spearheaded the projects of Welcome Wagon for newcomers and the annual Recycle Sale. She served United Way, Alaska Crippled Children & Adults, League of Women Voters, Alaska Cooperative Extension Service and Little Dribbler’s. She served a term on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board and remained dedicated to educational issues for decades. She organized Fairbanks’ first March of Dimes Telethon and led fund-raising efforts for ACCA’s Easter Seal Telethon and holiday sales for UNICEF. When her kids were school-aged, Cam saw a need for a neighborhood 4-H club and launched North Star 4-H Club. As club leader, she pulled together the varied resources and skills of neighborhood parents to create a 4-H club with an enticing diversity of projects for the kids to partake in. She was drawn to 4-H because it included boys and girls, without gender bias on what skill set the kid was interested in learning. She received 4-H Leader of the Year award, and under her leadership, North Star 4-H was awarded Club of the Year. She organized Clean Up Day groups, Golden Days Parade entries, and directed the 4-H division at the fair, receiving a best division award one year. After her kids had all reached college age, Cam lived in Denver for a short time and attended Denver Paralegal Institute, earning certification in the Paralegal General Practice Program in April 1991. As her years rolled on in Fairbanks, Cam kept up her extraordinary pace of volunteerism and active involvement in the community. She officiated numerous high school track and field meets and co-organized state meets. She was on the board for Sons of Norway and co-organized the building project of their lodge. She held a public seat on the Alaska State Medical Board, and served on the boards of Ice Alaska, Alaska International Senior Games, and Interior Alaska Sourdoughs. Through their membership in the Fairbanks Genealogical Society, Cam and Bob enjoyed the fellowship and connection to community fostered at the potluck gatherings. Cam’s involvement in politics at both the local and state level was immense. She was a dedicated member of Alaska’s Republican Party, served as Interior Alaska’s district chairperson, and was a delegate to numerous district and state events. In 1996, Cam received the award, Republican of the Year for Interior Alaska. She had the honor of attending the Republican National Convention as a member of the Alaska delegation in 1996 and 2008. She threw herself tirelessly into the work of assisting election campaigns for numerous politicians for who she was an ardent supporter, both locally and statewide. She was driven to campaign/petition for legislative issues she was passionate about. Year after year, she was a steadfast volunteer at the local polling booth. The Christian faith was an integral part of Cam’s life. In her early Alaska years, at First United Methodist Church, she was a lay leader, Sunday school teacher, and choir member. As she grew beyond this, she led the organization of an independent church, along with a few other families in the community. Utilizing her organizational skills, she helped shepherd the church through two building projects. Through all of this, Cam was an initiator and creator of community. Cam and her husband Bob dedicated immeasurable amounts of time, labor, heart and soul to St. Paul Church up through the last year of their lives. Alongside her tremendously deep community involvement, Cam’s life tapestry was woven with varied and colorful personal pursuits. She was known for her love of chocolate and Coke, staying up all hours of the night, and fielding phone calls from friends until midnight. She enjoyed her athleticism throughout her entire lifespan – participating in the Equinox Marathon and Skiathon, Chena River Run, and Midnight Sun Run. She participated in Alaska International Senior Games in a variety of running, power-walking, throwing, and rifle marksmanship events. Competing to the age of 83, she often won or podiumed her age division and accumulated a box of medals. She enjoyed the sewing arts and used her skills to make clothing and a multitude of articles of comfort for her kids and grandkids. She was a weaver, knitter, and cross stitcher. Above all, it was colorful fabric that brought her joy. She became a quilter, and through this she enjoyed the “necessary” visits to fabrics shops everywhere she traveled, accumulating an astounding collection of fabric. Cam enjoyed the adventures of traveling to Jamaica, China, and American Samoa, to visit her kids when they lived in those places. Her three kids and four grandkids were her pride and joy, and with a kid living on each coast of the Lower 48, trips to visit them were abundant, especially when grandkids entered the scene. Cam and Bob exuded a spark of delight when they traveled to the Lower 48 for numerous family events and classmate reunions. Cam stayed in touch with family and friends with newsletters and phone calls; and created email groups for cousins, to keep everyone connected. A gregarious soul, she would reach out to the newcomers in whatever group situation she was in, and her heart was full if they felt comfortable, welcomed, and included. In her later years, Cam frequently expressed gratitude for the course of her life and believed it was full, rich and rewarding. She saw beauty all around her and felt her home on the hill was a real blessing in her life. On September 24, 2024, Cam suffered a large brainstem hemorrhage that resulted in a severe stroke. She was airlifted to Anchorage where she survived, and then endured successive levels of hospitalization, rehabilitation, and a skilled nursing facility. She faced all of it with bravery and strength, and worked so hard in rehab therapies in hopes of returning home. Her beloved husband Bob was at her side daily, to hold her hand and keep her spirits up, even as he was enduring daily cancer pain of his own. She passed over in peace and comfort, with her children at her side in Anchorage. Cam was preceded in death by her husband Bob Carlson on December 24, 2024, and her sister Marilyn Hooper. She is survived by daughter Kris Carlson (Dean Bumstead) and their son Devon Bumstead; son Brett Carlson (Jillian Simpson) and their daughters Xan Carlson and Atigun Simpson; daughter Kelly Guarino (David Guarino) and her daughter Anna Stringham; elder brother Earle Olson; younger brother Dennis Olson; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins; many dear friends, old and new. We all carry her light forward into the future. A Celebration of Lives for Bob & Cam Carlson will be held Saturday, July 12th from 5:00 to 8:00pm, at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks. We will gather to honor the lives of Bob and Cam and celebrate their community. Following the formal program, there will be informal memory sharing and socializing, with music and nourishment provided. All are welcome. RSVP is appreciated, but not required. We invite you to send memories, stories or videos to share. To attend the formal program remotely, a request can be made for a video link. Email contact for our event: bobandcamcarlson@gmail.com.

The Cincinnati Inquirer, Cincinnati, OH, Friday, February 22, 2008

Elizabeth A. Ponath

PONATH, Elizabeth A. (nee Rizner), loving wife and soulmate of John Ponath since graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1963. Mother of Laura (Rusty) Hymer and Julie (Dan) Mikus. Passed peacefully February 19, 2008 at Hospice of Hamilton, age 66. Private family services have been held. Memorials may be sent to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund, 522 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Se. C281, Cincinnati, OH 45240.

The Oregonian, Portland, Multnomah Co., OR, Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Mr. George H Poppert, 64

A service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2005, in Willamette National Cemetery for George H. Poppert, who died Feb. 25 at age 64. Mr. Poppert was born June 15, 1940, in Watertown, Wis. He served in the Navy and moved to the Portland area in 1979. He was a lead supervisor for Axion Electronics in Beaverton. In 1973, he married Elaine Bockus. Survivors include his wife; daughters, Robin Demaree, M. Dawn Howell and Darcy D. Poppert; and seven grandchildren. Remembrances to the Washington County Hospice. Arrangements by Springer and Son.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., WI, Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) - Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Found peace June 15, 2005, age 78. Preceded in death by his beloved wife June. Dear father of Steven and Jenny (Bob) Schinner. Dear grandfather of Adam, Christian, Zachary, Jared, Matthew, Andrew and Michael. Further survived by other relatives and friends. Memorial Visitation Friday, June 24 at WISCONSIN MEMORIAL PARK FAMILY CENTER, WEST CHAPEL (13235 W. Capitol Dr. Brookfield), from 1 - 2 PM. Memorial Service 2 PM to follow. CHURCH AND CHAPEL 262-827-0659 www.churchandchapel.com.