Carolyn Kay Buening

Carol Buening, 84, a longtime resident (1969 to 2021) of Columbia, MO passed away Wednesday April 9, 2026 in Hamburg, MI. Funeral Service will be 11 am, April 17, 2026 at Memorial Funeral Home with burial to follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may gather at the funeral home from 10 to 11 am before the service.

Carol was born June 26, 1941 in Rensselaer, IN to the late James and Jeanette Illingworth. She grew up in rural northwestern IN attending Otterbein high school where she played the flute in band, was a majorette and performed solos at basketball games graduating in 1959. She then attended Purdue University and earned her bachelor degree in Home Economics in 1963. After working for Sears Robuck and Co. in Chicago for a year, on August 22, 1964 she married the late Gerald “Jerry” Buening in Lafayette, IN. She had two children (Vincent born in 1967 and Lisa born in 1969).

Carol was incredibly creative as a painter and sewer making all the paintings, furniture upholstery covers, curtains etc. in their first home in Columbia (as evidenced in holiday pictures and the décor was definitely in line with the times of the late 1960s to early 1970s). In addition, she sewed a number of outfits for her children. She worked as a kindergarten art teacher, an administrator at Stephens College, and was in charge of the CCD program at Our Lady of Lourdes for several years.

Carol and Jerry were active in Toastmasters for many years and were also very active in the story telling community attending conferences for many years. She also enjoyed writing and was in the writers guild in Columbia for many years. She also kept detailed daily journals that were a very interesting read for her children and grandchildren!

Carol was a kind and loving wife, mom and grandma.

She is survived by her son Vincent (Delfina) Buening of Pinckney, MI and brother, Joseph “Joe” (Maryann) Illingworth; and grandchildren, Dorothy and Edward Buening and Suzanne and Kathryn Londeree. She was preceded in death by her husband Jerry Buening and her daughter Lisa Londeree.

Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, https://alzfdn.org/donate/ or Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com