Age 82, of St. Paul, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones, and into the loving arms of her Lord & Saviour on July 12, 2026.

Kind, generous, caring & classy, with a fun glimmer of a rebellious side, best describe Carolyn. She was a woman strong in her faith who loved her family & friends immensely. It was her life’s pride & joy being a wife, mother, grandma, and great grandma.

She always greeted everyone with a bright smile, warm hug & was always there to listen, give wise advice, tell a witty one liner, serve delicious desserts & help in thoughtful ways only she could. Gift-giving was her love language and while that definitely included her thoughtful tangible gifts she so thoughtfully gave, Carolyn was also a giver of quality time, tender touch, acts of service & words of affirmation.

Carolyn was always the best dressed with her style on point for every occasion. Whether it was a lovely pair of high heels to accent a perfectly tailored dress suit while she helped bride’s find their dream wedding gown when she managed The Wedding Shoppe or a fun fringed leather Harley jacket & chaps to go adventuring on the back of a motorcycle across the states. Carolyn knew all the best designers and definitely subscribed to the thought of “never underestimate the power of a good outfit & the impact it can have.”

The special thing about Carolyn though, was she didn’t follow fast trends, she made fashion her own by firmly knowing who she was in her heart and expressing it by the way she showed up & lived. A class act with a zest for fun.

Carolyn enjoyed being in the great outdoors with family, hiking up North, gardening and traveling especially on a motorcycle with the wind in her hair. She had a heart for animals and rescued many amazing dogs over her life including her most recent love, Duke. She loved music, shopping & decorating a picturesque Christmas home to rival any high end retailers display. She had a talent for creating a beautiful home full of love welcoming to anyone: her home was both the perfect place to host parties as well as curl up with a cup of coffee & connect one on one.

She was an angel on earth and will be greatly missed.

Preceded in death by husband, James Koller and parents, Norbert & Lucy (Charles) Bushman.

Survived by children, Jim (Sharon) Koller, Paula (Nick) Lewis; grandchildren, Nicole (James), Nicholas, Sam, Allie; great grandchildren, Nori, Vinny, Tommy, Raymond, Jackson; siblings, LuAnn Elm, Kathy Palmer, Cherie Leidenfrost, Ken (Melodee) Bushman; life-partner, Al Rieder and the Rieder family.

Please join us for her memorial service at 11:00 am Thursday, August 6 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7600 Cahill Ave. E., Inver Grove Heights, MN. Visitation at the church from 10:00 - 11:00 am Thursday with coffee & dessert gathering to follow worship.

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