Carol Mae (Hoesly) Diekroeger, 93, passed away on December 30, 2022, at Congregational Home in Brookfield, WI, where she had lived for several years.

Born on March 29, 1929, Carol was the youngest of three daughters of Beulah and R. Raymond Hoesly of New Glarus, WI.

Carol was raised in New Glarus, known as America's "Little Switzerland," the first Swiss settlement in the United States.  Carol was very proud of her Swiss heritage.  Growing up, Carol and her family participated in many events celebrating their Swiss heritage.  For years, Carol played a "Swiss Miss" in the annual William Tell Festival, donning the official dress of different Swiss cantons to perform in the Tell pageant, which drew thousands of visitors to New Glarus every summer.  When Carol was grown, she often returned to New Glarus for Tell Festival events.  The Hoesly family, descendants of the founding families of New Glarus, celebrated their Swiss heritage in many ways.  At her mother's side, Carol learned many Swiss specialties, including making cookies with an imported Bratzeli iron that was passed down in the family.

After graduating from New Glarus High School, Carol attended Lake Forest College, in Lake Forest, IL, and Barnard Business School, in Madison, WI.  Carol's education prepared her to work at General Motors' Pontiac Division offices in Milwaukee, WI.  During her 31-year career at the Division office, Carol owned 26 different new Pontiacs.  The best was the Pontiac she drove to Door County, WI, for a Labor Day vacation in 1962, where the "young good-looking blonde in the convertible" caught the eye of her future husband, Donald J. Diekroeger.

In addition to working at Pontiac, Carol took second jobs every fall at Marshall Field's, because she loved to use her "employee discount" to buy Christmas presents for all her nieces and nephews.  Between giving rides in her convertibles and giving lovely presents from Marshall Fields, Carol was everyone's favorite aunt.

Carol and Don married in October 1973, and honeymooned among the glorious fall colors of New England.  They enjoyed a second honeymoon in Switzerland several years later.  Carol and Don enjoyed 31 happy years of marriage living in their beloved Cape Cod home in Wauwatosa, WI, before Don passed away in 2004.

During their lives together, Carol and Don returned to Door County at least yearly to relive their happy courtship.  They also enjoyed playing golf and bridge, attending the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Community United Methodist Church, taking weekend trips to New Glarus, and travelling throughout the United States to visit family and friends.

Carol outlived her husband, her parents, and her sisters Charline (Thomas) Wohlrabe and Mavis Shankland.

Carol is survived by Allen Aichele, Sally (Shankland) Brown, Sue Ellen (Wohlrabe) Burke, Julie (Shankland) Collie, Bob Diekroeger, Greg Diekroeger, Ken Diekroeger, Sandy Diekroeger, Teri Diekroeger, Judy (Metzger) Hayden, Jackee (Diekroeger) Schaefer, Rebecca Shankland, Sarah (Wohlrabe) Shortall, and John Wohlrabe.

A memorial service for Carol (Hoesly) Diekroeger will be held at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, at the Swiss United Church of Christ Cemetery (Highway 39 and Seventh Street, New Glarus, WI).

Following the service, family and friends are invited to be guests for dinner at Chalet Landhaus Restaurant, 801 Hwy 69, in New Glarus.

Memorials may be made in Carol's memory to:  the Community United Methodist Church, 14700 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove, WI 53122; and the Swiss United Church of Christ, 18 5th Avenue, New Glarus, WI 53574.

The Zentner-Beal Funeral Home of New Glarus is assisting the family.