in loving memory of
Carol Darlene (Gaeddert) Burkhart
September 15, 1933 – January 28, 2023
Memorial Service
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Friday, February 3, 2:00 p.m.
Memorial Service at Park View Mennonite Church. Family visitation at Cline Community Center at VMRC, following the service. If unable to attend, join the service live, or later, by clicking on the video image below. Please sign the guest book below to indicate that you have viewed the service. |
Obituary
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Carol Darlene (Gaeddert) Burkhart, 89, of Harrisonburg, passed away on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Harman House of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community.
Carol Burkhart was born on September 15, 1933, in Moundridge, Kansas, and was a daughter of the late Albert M. and Edna (Regier) Gaeddert. She graduated from Bethel College (North Newton, KS) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Carol taught elementary school and later became a reading specialist. After raising her daughters, Carol became very actively involved in the antique business, buying and reselling her collections. She specialized in buttons, sewing tools and European hair jewelry and was well known for her beautiful collections. Carol loved classical music and played the piano. She was the church organist at Bethel Mennonite Church in Lancaster, PA. She was an avid reader, especially books about historical events and mystery novels. Carol is survived by her husband of 67 years, Donald K. Burkhart, and two daughters, Ann Burkhart (Sacramento, CA) and Elizabeth Benbow (Staunton, VA); her sister, Kathryn Gaeddert (Newton, KS); and two grandsons, Jameson Benbow and Liam Benbow (both of San Diego, CA). She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Christine Burkhart, and her brother, Dale Gaeddert. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 3, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Park View Mennonite Church with Pastors Phil Kniss and Paula Stoltzfus officiating. Family visitation will be after the service at Cline Community Center, Woodland Park Circle, VMRC from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Memorial gifts can be sent to Mennonite Central Committee at https://donate.mcc.org/. Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting www.kygers.com. |
A Life Review (Eulogy)
written by her family
Carol Darlene Gaeddert Burkhart was born to Albert and Edna Regier Gaeddert in 1933 during the great depression. She and her younger brother Dale grew up in south-central Kansas, Colorado Springs, and Evanston, Illinois until the young family moved to Inman, Kansas when her father, Albert Gaeddert, became pastor of the Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church. Her youngest sister Kathryn was born there. A short time later, Carol went to live with her maternal grandparents in Moundridge, Kansas to help care for her grandmother who was bed-ridden from rheumatoid arthritis. She lived there until she graduated from high school. After which she attended Bethel College where she majored in elementary education.
She interrupted her college education to take a year for Voluntary Service at the Bethesda Children’s Home in Bethesda, Maryland. Here, she met the love of her life, Don Burkhart, who was in 1-W Service at Bethesda. Their love connection was made as Don would escort Carol and the children for whom she was responsible on long walks in the neighboring parks. Her family members later wondered if an escort was really required, but nonetheless, their courtship flourished. After her year as a house-mother at Bethesda, she returned to finish college. Don followed his love to North Newton, and they were married in 1955.
After Carol’s graduation in 1956, Don and Carol moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Don joined his family’s wholesale florist business. Carol taught elementary school until their family was blessed with their first daughter, Ann Marie. Carol left teaching to raise her daughter. A year later Christine Lenore was born, and four years later Elizabeth Helen was born. After her daughters were in school she continued her advanced education at Millersville University and became a reading specialist, and tutored in the Lancaster area public schools.
Carol and Don were very frugal people, and Carol started frequenting Goodwill and Rescue Mission second-hand stores to find clothing for her family. While on these excursions, beautiful “old things” caught her eye, and her passion for collecting antiques took off. This led her to attending estate auctions. Soon her collections filled the family dining room, and it was time to get a new plan.
With her daughters raised, Carol became very actively involved in the antique business, buying and reselling her collections. Her reputation grew among antique collectors and dealers, who would watch what she was bidding on at auctions. They knew if she bid on an item, it was good and they would then bid against her. To get the best prices, she tried to be as inconspicuous as possible by standing in the back of the room. She collected pretty things especially gold and silver jewelry, buttons, sewing tools and later European hair jewelry. She became known for her beautiful collections which she sold at three antique collectives. She was honored by having her sewing and button collections featured in the National Button Society publications and the book “On Women and Friendship, A Collection of Victorian Keepsakes and Traditions,” published in 1993.
A story the family tells that demonstrates her business acumen took place on a hot summer day when Carol and Kathryn went to Gettysburg to see a button collection that was for sale. The owner showed Carol a large box of buttons. To Kathryn’s untrained eye, the box was a waste of time, containing buttons probably sold at J.C. Penny or Woolworths. Carol scooped up a hand full of buttons, looked at them, and dumped them back in the box. After repeating this action several times, she offered the owner $500. The purchase was made, and Carol and Kathryn went to the car to go home. Utterly surprised that Carol would make such a seemingly ridiculous purchase, Kathryn asked her if she had lost her mind. Carol laughed and said that there was one Pre-Revolutionary War button, which she could resell for $500, and she knew there were others in the box just as valuable. This is how she grew her business.
Music was very important to Carol ever since childhood. She became an accomplished pianist. She learned and played trombone in high school, even winning several state high school competitions. One time Kathryn accused Carol of being a goody-two-shoes and that she never rebelled as a teenager. Taking umbrage Carol said that she had rebelled - she played the trombone, and at that time it was considered an instrument that only men played.
Carol loved classical music and studied piano and the organ in college. She went on to become the church organist at Bethel Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and she accompanied Hiram Hershey’s Franconia Lancaster Choral Singers.
Following in her father’s teachings about peace and social justice, she was an active volunteer with Planned Parenthood and the Lancaster Community Action Program. Here Carol enlisted Don’s involvement with painting and home repairs for CAP clients.
Carol was the first woman elected to the Board of Deacons at the Bethel Mennonite Church.
On a less serious side, she was an avid reader, especially books about historical events and mystery novels.
Carol’s happiest times were with her family. Twice a year Carol and Don drove to visit her parents in Minnesota, Nebraska or Kansas. After her daughters moved to California, Carol and Don would stop in Kansas to pick up Carol’s parents and the four of them drove to northern California. It was here that they met their daughters’ husbands: Ann’s husband Bruce Frazier, Chris’s husband Eugene Stewart, and Liz’s husband Paul Benbow. In 1998 Liz and Paul moved to Craigsville, Virginia where they raised Carol and Don’s two grandsons, Jameson and Liam. Several years later Carol and Don retired from their respective businesses in Lancaster and moved here to VMRC to be close to Liz and her family.
Over time there were many happy celebrations for the extended family that also included brother Dale and his wife, Judith, and their children Gretchen, Mike and John; and sister Kathryn and her husband, Jeffrey Roberts.
Carol is survived by her husband of 67 years, Don Burkhart, and two daughters, Ann Burkhart (Sacramento) and Elizabeth Benbow (Staunton); and her sister, Kathryn Gaeddert (Newton); and two grandsons, Jameson Benbow and Liam Benbow (both of San Diego). She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Chris, and her brother, Dale.
Carol leaves us with many precious experiences and memories. We will miss her keen wit, generous heart, warm smile, and loving soul.
She interrupted her college education to take a year for Voluntary Service at the Bethesda Children’s Home in Bethesda, Maryland. Here, she met the love of her life, Don Burkhart, who was in 1-W Service at Bethesda. Their love connection was made as Don would escort Carol and the children for whom she was responsible on long walks in the neighboring parks. Her family members later wondered if an escort was really required, but nonetheless, their courtship flourished. After her year as a house-mother at Bethesda, she returned to finish college. Don followed his love to North Newton, and they were married in 1955.
After Carol’s graduation in 1956, Don and Carol moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Don joined his family’s wholesale florist business. Carol taught elementary school until their family was blessed with their first daughter, Ann Marie. Carol left teaching to raise her daughter. A year later Christine Lenore was born, and four years later Elizabeth Helen was born. After her daughters were in school she continued her advanced education at Millersville University and became a reading specialist, and tutored in the Lancaster area public schools.
Carol and Don were very frugal people, and Carol started frequenting Goodwill and Rescue Mission second-hand stores to find clothing for her family. While on these excursions, beautiful “old things” caught her eye, and her passion for collecting antiques took off. This led her to attending estate auctions. Soon her collections filled the family dining room, and it was time to get a new plan.
With her daughters raised, Carol became very actively involved in the antique business, buying and reselling her collections. Her reputation grew among antique collectors and dealers, who would watch what she was bidding on at auctions. They knew if she bid on an item, it was good and they would then bid against her. To get the best prices, she tried to be as inconspicuous as possible by standing in the back of the room. She collected pretty things especially gold and silver jewelry, buttons, sewing tools and later European hair jewelry. She became known for her beautiful collections which she sold at three antique collectives. She was honored by having her sewing and button collections featured in the National Button Society publications and the book “On Women and Friendship, A Collection of Victorian Keepsakes and Traditions,” published in 1993.
A story the family tells that demonstrates her business acumen took place on a hot summer day when Carol and Kathryn went to Gettysburg to see a button collection that was for sale. The owner showed Carol a large box of buttons. To Kathryn’s untrained eye, the box was a waste of time, containing buttons probably sold at J.C. Penny or Woolworths. Carol scooped up a hand full of buttons, looked at them, and dumped them back in the box. After repeating this action several times, she offered the owner $500. The purchase was made, and Carol and Kathryn went to the car to go home. Utterly surprised that Carol would make such a seemingly ridiculous purchase, Kathryn asked her if she had lost her mind. Carol laughed and said that there was one Pre-Revolutionary War button, which she could resell for $500, and she knew there were others in the box just as valuable. This is how she grew her business.
Music was very important to Carol ever since childhood. She became an accomplished pianist. She learned and played trombone in high school, even winning several state high school competitions. One time Kathryn accused Carol of being a goody-two-shoes and that she never rebelled as a teenager. Taking umbrage Carol said that she had rebelled - she played the trombone, and at that time it was considered an instrument that only men played.
Carol loved classical music and studied piano and the organ in college. She went on to become the church organist at Bethel Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and she accompanied Hiram Hershey’s Franconia Lancaster Choral Singers.
Following in her father’s teachings about peace and social justice, she was an active volunteer with Planned Parenthood and the Lancaster Community Action Program. Here Carol enlisted Don’s involvement with painting and home repairs for CAP clients.
Carol was the first woman elected to the Board of Deacons at the Bethel Mennonite Church.
On a less serious side, she was an avid reader, especially books about historical events and mystery novels.
Carol’s happiest times were with her family. Twice a year Carol and Don drove to visit her parents in Minnesota, Nebraska or Kansas. After her daughters moved to California, Carol and Don would stop in Kansas to pick up Carol’s parents and the four of them drove to northern California. It was here that they met their daughters’ husbands: Ann’s husband Bruce Frazier, Chris’s husband Eugene Stewart, and Liz’s husband Paul Benbow. In 1998 Liz and Paul moved to Craigsville, Virginia where they raised Carol and Don’s two grandsons, Jameson and Liam. Several years later Carol and Don retired from their respective businesses in Lancaster and moved here to VMRC to be close to Liz and her family.
Over time there were many happy celebrations for the extended family that also included brother Dale and his wife, Judith, and their children Gretchen, Mike and John; and sister Kathryn and her husband, Jeffrey Roberts.
Carol is survived by her husband of 67 years, Don Burkhart, and two daughters, Ann Burkhart (Sacramento) and Elizabeth Benbow (Staunton); and her sister, Kathryn Gaeddert (Newton); and two grandsons, Jameson Benbow and Liam Benbow (both of San Diego). She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Chris, and her brother, Dale.
Carol leaves us with many precious experiences and memories. We will miss her keen wit, generous heart, warm smile, and loving soul.
