Carol Fontaine's Obituary
Carol J. Fontaine, age 95, of San Juan, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, passed away, Saturday, January 24, 2026. Carol was born December 25, 1930 in Terrebonne, Minnesota to Rudolph and Cora (Caillier) Ducharme. Carol had three sisters, Laura, Beatrice, and Emelda (Millie), and two brothers, Elmer and Jerome (Jay).
After High School, in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, she attended a teachers training course and taught in a one room school in the area, for kids in grades one through eight.
On February, 21, 1950, when Carol was 19 years old, she married Donald Paul Fontaine. Don and Carol moved to Wisconsin where Don worked for Clark Electric while Carol was a homemaker. As the kids got older she began teaching again and worked as a reading teacher in the School District of Greenwood, WI until they both retired, she at 59 and Don at 62.
Carol was a devout Catholic and a life-long member of the Catholic Church. She lived for the Sacraments. Her life purpose was the attainment of Heaven for herself and her family. Don and Carol raised nine children: Leslie (Marta), Darlene (Mike) Wellner, Gerard (Shawn), Michael (Cheryl Roberts), Mary (Ron) Olson, James, Jeffrey, Timothy (Diane) and Paulette (Bruce) Lange. A favorite family pastime was camping, which involved a lot of fishing! Fishing from a small boat was their ideal.
After retirement in 1990, Don and Carol were Winter Texans for 20 years living in the Rio Grande Valley in Weslaco, TX. Carol loved to dance, and never missed an opportunity to do so. She also enjoyed all kinds of card games with the kids, grandkids and because she was very social, with a warm welcoming smile, she made many friends along life’s way.
Carol continued to live independently with the loving on-going support of her children, after Don’s passing in 2014, until just after her 94th birthday when she asked to go into nursing care. Her children helped select San Juan Nursing Home on the campus of the Basilica of San Juan de Valle, where she received excellent, compassionate care for just over a year before her passing.
Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Donald, her son James, and all her siblings.
She is survived by her eighteen grandchildren: Kevin (Kerry) Olson, Courtney (Bryan) Dearinger, Ashley (Matt) Lickenbrock, Adam (Tracy) Olson, Brent (Sarah) Wellner, Seth Fontaine, Nathan (Sarah) Fontaine, Tiffany (Greg) Baumgardt, Josh Fontaine (Ashley Fromm), Alaina (Ben) Jeske, Caitlin Fontaine (Justin Sisley), Claire Fontaine, Matthew (Ruth) Fontaine, Mark (Presleigh) Fontaine, Jamie (Jon) Lucas, Jack Fontaine, Audrey Fontaine, Alyssa (Randall) Reams. Carol is also survived by her twenty one great grandchildren: Alyson Fontaine, Kiersten Fontaine, Isaac Olson, Isabelle Olson, Arabella Fontaine, Jacob Lickenbrock, Makenzie Fontaine, Madeline Lickenbrock, Avery Olson, Harrison Wellner, Calvin Dearinger, Theo Dearinger, Cashel Baumgardt, Kellan Jeske, Daire Baumgardt, Landon Jeske, Veronica Fontaine, Quinn Reams, Mary Fontaine, Sage Reams, Anne Fontaine.
As a Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and a Life Long Advocate for Life, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
McAllen Pregnancy Center,
816 S. Main Street
McAllen, TX 78501
Ph: 956-631-4585
email: [email protected]
A Pro-Life Center
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