Carole Frances Frierdich

“Thankful to God for my life and His blessings. Thankful for my faith. Thankful for the beauty of people and nature.” -- Carole Brennan Frierdich

Carole was born in Illinois on April 21, 1944 to Frank and Katie Gaylo (Van Volkenburg). She is survived by her son, Daniel J. Brennan II (Lisa) of Hingham, MA and their four daughters Mackenzie (21), Livia (19), Danielle (17), and Sylvia (15), her daughter Kathleen Youngerman (Kerry) of Town and Country, MO and her son Clifford (23), and her sister Sandra Krumm (Tim) of Collinsville, IL and their children Tim (Teresa), Laura, and Brian (Laura).

Carole graduated from St. Teresa’s Academy in 1962 and entered nursing school – becoming a Registered Nurse in 1965 before having her two children. She was a proud supporter of the Arts in St. Louis for many years – including the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Muny, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Carole valued her family more than anything in the world and was an extremely devoted mother and grandmother as well as a caring and helpful aunt to her nieces and nephews. She greatly enjoyed all the times gathering together with her immediate family, her cousins, and her friends. She treasured all of the friends made throughout her life – including those from high school (the “gang”), the “MESS” group from Belleville, IL., neighbors and golfing friends from Town & Country, MO. and her Whitmore neighborhood in Weldon Spring, MO., church friends from St. Joseph’s in Cottleville, MO., and, most recently, her many caregiver-friends from Right at Home St. Charles – especially Cherie and Jill with whom she spent so much of the last years of her life.

“I wish for my friends and family all of my joy and my love for eternity.” --Carole

In addition to spending time with her family and friends, she also enjoyed running, traveling, golfing, reading/book clubs, gardening, and, during her final years, taking long walks at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Weldon Spring. Her struggles with pancreatic cancer lasted 4 ½ years but her heart was full of joy, her soul was filled with kindness, and her faith in God and her Catholic beliefs kept her strong. She will forever be remembered as an energetic, fun-loving, kind, caring, and helpful mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend.

Private services will be held. She will be buried alongside her mother at Lake View Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Fairview Heights, IL.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org) or the Memorial Fund of Heartland Hospice – who helped care for her so well over the last months of her life (https://www.promedica.org/waystogive/hospice-memorial-fund/).