Carol was born on September 7, 1938, in Alpena, Michigan, to Norman O. and Ethel M. (née Marquardt) Kindt. She was raised on her family’s farm in Alpena and was crowned Alpena's 1956 Winter Carnival's Ice Empress at the age of 17. After graduating from high school, she married her beloved husband, George Donald Bartz, in Texas in 1957.
Carol and George first made their home in Detroit before moving to St. Clair Shores and then Sterling Heights, eventually settling in Clinton Township, where she lived for more than 30 years. Although Carol worked briefly in a grocery store, her most important role was that of a loving wife, devoted mother, and wonderful homemaker.
Carol was fiercely independent, strong-willed, and determined, yet she remained young at heart, with a goofy personality and a unique sense of humor. She and George enjoyed many years as snowbirds, spending at least six months of the year at their second home in Apache Junction, Arizona, where they made many dear friends. After George’s passing on September 12, 2012, Carol continued traveling to Arizona on her own for many years, while always enjoying returning home to Michigan to spend time with her family.
She enjoyed solving jigsaw puzzles, attending the Woodward Dream Cruise, and was never one to turn down a margarita. She grew the most beautiful flowers and greenery in her courtyard, and felt most content sitting there in her rocker, taking in the beauty, the cool breeze, and the sounds of her bubbling fountain and an occasional bumblebee or hummingbird.
Carol will be lovingly remembered by her children, Scott (Leslie) Bartz and Julie Day; her grandchildren, Heather (Derek) Denman, Heidi (Zac) Green, Lauren (Cody) Lobbestael, Kaylee Day, and Sean Day; and her great-grandchildren, Aubree, Brantley, Cambry, Waylan, Hailey, Oliver, and Nellie.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, George Bartz; her son, Brian (Vicki) Bartz; her parents, Norman and Ethel Kindt; and her brothers, Don (Marilyn) Kindt and Kenneth (Karen) Kindt.
