Carol A Brantley

Carol Brantley was born in eastern Colorado to Jason and Esther Vandel. Her early childhood was spent in Brush, Sterling, Fort Morgan, and Fort Collins, before the family moved to Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where she attended and graduated from Wheat Ridge High School. She attended Beth Eden Baptist Church in Denver, which was where she met her Savior, Jesus Christ, and also her lifelong sweetheart, Don Brantley. Don and Carol’s eyes first met while he was up in the choir, and she was sitting in one of the front pews. They went out for Cokes that night with friends and began dating a week later. They had just turned 17 and 18 when they married in 1953 and their love continued to grow during their 70 years of marriage. They raised four children together and also took in four foster children from the Dixon family for a time and instilled in all of them a love for the Lord and a love for family.

Carol was working at the soda counter in a drugstore when she and Don started dating, and later worked as a dental assistant, as a customer service rep for Mountain Bell, and later built a successful career selling Tupperware. Once the kids started arriving, she became a full-time homemaker, which was a calling that she excelled at. In 1982, she and Don moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, and in 1988, she helped Don and their son Brian establish Brantley Distributing LLC. She served as the office manager and bookkeeper in the company's early years, and when Don retired, they were thrilled to see their sons and grandsons help carry on the family business.

Carol's favorite pastime was spending time with Don and their kids and grandkids. She had a passion for reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible, and for praying with and helping people in need. She had a special gift for conversation and for showing an interest in other people that made them feel like they were the most important person in the room. She was an excellent cook, and also enjoyed gardening, quilting, embroidery, and sewing clothing for her large family. She truly was a Proverbs 31 woman, and her children and grandchildren "rise up and call her blessed".

Carol and Don left a heritage of faith and love for their Lord, and an example of what a lifelong loving marriage can look like. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don, their son Brian, and her sister Carmen Lindahl. She is survived by her brother, Colonel Robert Vandel, USA, Ret.(Nancy), her children Stan (Anya), daughter-in-law Cindy (Brian), Michelle Hasz (Dan), and Jeff (Robin); their grandchildren, David (ex-wife Lauren), Rose, Nathan (Ashlyn), Benjamin (Emily), Jeremy (Leesha), Joshua (Emily), Philip (Carissa), Laura, Sara, Breanna, Jonathan (Kutenda), Larissa, Michaela, and Caleb; and ten great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at Valley Church, 2883 Victoria Drive, in Grand Junction, CO, 81503. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.callahan-edfast.com. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Carol’s memory can be given to Valley Church.