Carol J. Bayer

Mrs. Carol J. Bayer, age 87, of Colorado Springs, CO passed on to new life in Heaven with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Lee R. Bayer, her parents Ellsworth and Ethel Lehmann, and her two sisters Ethel Betts and Barbara Harris. She is survived by her children Gary (Judy) Bayer, Priscilla (Shan) Hartsough, Jennifer Bayer, grandchildren Aly (Stephen) Moore, Alex (Caroline) Hartsough, Andrew Hartsough, Brandon Bayer, Megan Bayer, her great-grandson Tristan Moore as well as her brothers-in-law Dick (Jean) Bayer and Roy (Ethel) Betts.

Carol was born in Jersey City, NJ on September 4, 1937 and spent her childhood years in the West New York, New Jersey area. After graduating from high school and working briefly for the FBI in New York City to save money for tuition, Carol pursued her life’s ambition of becoming a nurse. She graduated from Hackensack (NJ) Hospital School of Nursing in 1959, and over the course of her nursing career practiced in various settings including hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare and public schools. Carol thought of herself as a nurse (as well as a mother) throughout the course of her life, and was always eager to let her medical providers know she “was a nurse.”

She met her husband Lee R. Bayer (decd. 2017) while in nurses’ training. They were married in 1960 while Lee was still in seminary. As a couple, they shared in each other’s work and careers, raised a family, and over their years together made numerous houses a welcoming home in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Michigan. Following Lee’s death, Carol moved to Colorado in 2019 to be in closer proximity to several of her children and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by all of her family both near and far.

An interment will be held at a later date in Michigan at the Georgetown Cemetery. In honor of Carol and in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to K9s For Warriors or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.