Carol Dee Wilson passed away Thursday evening June 12, 2025, at her home surrounded by her two sons, daughters in law, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. Carol Dee Robertson was born on September 17, 1931, in Ordway, Colorado, the first child of Bev and Ula Robertson.

Carol spent her early years at the family ranch near Arlington, Colorado, it was here that she learned to be a cowgirl. At a very young age, Carol was a skilled horseback rider, barrel racer, cattle wrangler, and fence builder. She was also quite ornery and often told stories that typically involved a horse, a stock tank, or a barbed wire fence. Many of these storied ended with, “we had to get home before Dad found out.” Carol’s orneriness was amplified with the arrival of her younger brother, Bud. One of the most memorable stories involved Carol wrangling unbroken horses into the corral so Bud could jump on one of them from the hay loft on the barn…before Dad found out.

Carol attended primary school in Arlington, Colorado and later graduated from Cheraw (CO) High School in 1949. Carol also attended Community College in La Junta, Colorado. After college, Carol moved to Denver, CO and worked various clerical jobs.

In early August of 1951, Carol’s cousin Bobbie convinced her to go on a blind date with Bobbie and her boyfriend, Harold. During this date, Carol was introduced to Harold’s best friend, a lanky Army Private named Darrell Wilson. A whirlwind courtship ensued, and Carol and Darrell were married on August 24, 1951…yes, two weeks after the first date. After just over a week of marriage, Darrell was dispatched to Korea where he would remain for the next two years. During this time, Carol and Darrell got to know each other by writing letters. The marriage lasted until Darrell’s passing in 2024, 73 years later.

Carol and Darrell lived in Denver after Darrell was discharged from the Army and later moved to El Paso, TX for a brief time. The couple eventually settled in Darrell’s hometown of Salina, Kansas.

Carol worked for Commercial Credit for several years, managed the Salina Municipal Employees Credit Union and was a Teaching Assistant at Sunset Elementary School. After Darrell retired from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, he became the Executive Director of the Kansas Sheriff’s Association and Carol became the Associations Secretary/Treasurer. Carol and Darrell traveled all over the State and Country on KSA business, including a trip to Russia at the invitation of the Russian Federation in 1993.

Carol enjoyed traveling, cooking, entertaining friends and family as well as the music of Marty Robbins, Bob Wills, Waylon Jennings, and many other Country greats. She was particularly fond of RFDTV, where she could watch older country western TV and stay current on cattle futures.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Darrell, her parents, Bev and Ula Robertson, brothers Douglas (Bud) and Kenny Robertson and great grandson Tristan Sawatski.

Carol is survived by son Scott and wife Teresa of Edmond, Oklahoma, son Mark and wife Diana of Overland Park, Kansas, sister Janice and husband Marvin of Strasburg, Colorado, granddaughters Jessica (Ryan), Chelsey, Danielle, grandsons Jarrett, Brent(Ryan), Nick (Lindsey), great grandson Caleb, great granddaughter Quinn, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.

The family extends deep and sincere thanks to the nurses and staff of Gentiva Healthcare, Christina, Amanda, Andrea, Yvonne, Brittney, Trista, Shawna, and Macy for the outstanding hospice care they provided to Carol during her final days.

A Celebration of Life for Carol will be held on June 28, 2025, 11:00 am at Ryan Mortuary, 137 N. 8th St., Salina, Kansas. A luncheon at Ryan’s will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Kansas Sheriff’s Association, P.O. Box 1122, Pittsburg, Kansas 66762.