Carl R. Carlberg

18 August 1925 – 27 January 2021

Carl Raymond Carlberg, aged 95 years, of Dunnellon, Florida passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at home with family at his side.

Carl Raymond Carlberg was the first born of eight to Swedish immigrants Carl and Anna in Chicago. His parents immigrated to America in the early 1920s through Ellis Island. Carl joined the Marine Corps at the age of seventeen and served the duration of World War II in the South Pacific. He married the love of his life, Jayne, in 1947 and they enjoyed more than 72 years together until her passing in 2020.

He was our Hero, he served and loved his country, and loved his family. He was member of American Legion, the Marine Corp Leaque, Commander of VFW Post 4864 for six years, and VFW District Commander for two years. Carl was a devout Christian and loved our savior, Jesus Christ.

We all find joy that Tarzan (Carl) and Jayne are together again, we will miss their love dearly.

Preceded in death by his loving wife Jayne (Gaul), father Carl Olof Sexton Carlberg and mother Anna Elisabet (Sjoqvist) Carlberg, siblings Carol Murphy, John Carlberg, Betty Bastraw, Robert Carlberg, and a grandson Ryan Wilkinson.

Survived by his daughters Cheryl DeRosa, Jennie Adams (Howard Adams), and Robbin Wilkinson (David Wilkinson), 8 grandchildren, and many great grandchildren; his siblings, Ralph Carlberg, Sr., Barbara Cubbage, and Ronald Schneteger.

In lieu of flowers please send a donation if you wish to VFW post 4864, First United Methodist Church of Dunnellon, or Hospice of Marion County.

It's with a heavy heart we memorialize Carl Raymond Carlberg, he's dancing with his bride

again.

B: 18 August 1925, Chicago, Illinois, USA

D: 27 January 2021, Dunnellon, Florida, USA

Aged: 95 years, 5 months, 9 days

This has taken some time to put together and I do it with an extremely heavy heart. I'm a little

surprised that it took so long, it usually doesn’t for me to put words on a page. But I gave it two

attempts last night, the first, Facebook's editor wiped out a couple paragraphs and I got irritated.

The second, I just struggled. So, I decided to sit back and ponder, to not rush, but to remember.

I read a series of novels while on assignment in Indonesia years ago by W.E.B. Griffin. The

series was The Corps and included books titled 'Semper Fi', 'Call To Arms', 'Counterattack',

'Battleground', 'Line of Fire', 'Close Combat', and 'Behind the Lines'. In those novels, the officers

would relax with multiple glasses of Four Roses Bourbon neat or on rocks when possible. So last

night while I sat thinking of Uncle Ray, I poured and enjoyed several glasses of Four Roses Single

Barrel, raising my glass to a real hero and a full life well lived.

Carl Raymond Carlberg was the first born in America to his Swedish immigrant father Carl Olof

Sexton Carlberg and Swedish immigrant mother Anna Elisabet (Sjöqvist) Carlberg. Being the

first born he experienced every memory of the Carlberg's in America. Born in Chicago in 1925

and residing on Ada Street until age of seven for the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.

His father would work on several depression era government projects. He moved by bus to Hot

Springs, Arkansas with his sister Betty and young little brother Robert. He would move to

Lexington, Kentucky, again by bus, for a couple years picking up another little brother John, then

on to West Point, Kentucky while father worked to build the Gold Vault in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

He told me that he remembered that. Attended West Point Elementary School and experienced.

January 28, 2021

By nephew Ralph Curt Carlberg, Jr.

the 1937 flood. Then back to Lexington where he'd welcome his youngest brother Ralph. He

would begin his love for the University of Kentucky athletics sneaking into ballgames with his

friends and start his high school years at Lexington Henry Clay.

As part of the Great Generation, he would give up his immediate future to volunteer to serve his

country at the age of 17 in August 1942. He left home, a new sister Carol had newly arrived, just

after a public swearing in ceremony by bus to Louisville and by train across country to Marine

Corp Base, San Diego, California. While training in San Diego he would lose his father to a train automobile accident, which he returned home arriving only after the funeral.

He wouldn't be home again until after the war, taking advantage of his earned points to get home

as soon as possible. As part of the 2nd Marine Division, he would see New Caledonia and

Hawaii, and make combat landings on Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa's smaller islands.

Awarded the Purple Heart, Marine Corp Commendation Medal, and Asiatic Pacific Campaign

Medal with four Battle Stars along the way.

Post war he would return to Muldraugh, Kentucky and begin work with "Ma Bell". He would

meet the love of his life Jayne Gaul and marry on 10 May 1947. They were together for almost 73

years.

Just like many of his fellow Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen from World War II he put his war

experiences behind him and focused on happier times building a career and family. Ray and

Jayne would build their family in Florida raising three beautiful daughters. The family

blossomed with the addition of sons-in-law and eventually nine grandchildren, which blossomed

even further to more in-laws and many great grandchildren.

He left a mark on his brothers and sisters, the big brother, one to look up to and one to love. He

left a mark on his many nephews and nieces as the warm uncle from Florida. He always joked

with us, gave us some stay straight "stay in line, do good" advice. He was always interested in

what we were doing and how we were doing. He seemed to enjoy having family visit, there was

always a lot of laughter.

We all look up to him as a hero, proud, and amazed at his life after surviving the horrors of the

Pacific Theatre of World War II. I only heard of him speak of it twice when I was in his presence,

he bore it well. Humbly, just doing his job assigned to him by the Corps at a very young age.

He served the Corps and his service brothers through the late years of his life performing Honor

Guard duty for fellow servicemen and women. My daughter Erica even wrote a short essay on

him in grade school, a person she admired.

A couple of Christmas's ago, my phone rang, it was Uncle Ray. With tears in my eyes, it was a

short but heartfelt conversation about Swedish meatballs and family, it is one of the best

Christmas presents I've ever received.

As I understand, he passed on his terms. Of sound mind, with family gathered around. Earlier

he told Robbin that he was ready to go home.

Lo, there do I see my Father

Lo, there do I see my Mother and my sisters and my brothers

Lo, there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning

Lo, they do call to me

They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla

Where the brave may live Forever!

Rest in Eternal Peace Carl Raymond Carlberg!

Proceeded in death by his Father, Mother, Brothers John and Robert, Sisters Carol and Betty, and

by his wife Jayne and a Grandson Ryan.

Leaves behind his Brothers Ralph and Ronald, Sister Barbara, three Daughters Cheryl DeRosa,

Jennie Adams, Robbin Wilkinson, and Sons-in-Law (Howard Adams, David Wilkinson), eight

Grandchildren and many Great-Grandchildren, many Nephews and Nieces.