Carol Ann Prestwich, age 86, died peacefully on May 24th and reunited with

her husband and daughter in the next life. Carol was a loving wife, a

tender mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend and faithful member of The

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She will be missed by many

who will always be thankful she was a part of their lives.

Born March 11th, 1938, in Idaho Falls, Idaho to Wilhelm and Leone Sauer as

the youngest of seven children. Carol had a special bond with her siblings

which carried throughout her years with visits and family reunions. It was

during the early years of her life that she gained a disdain for chickens,

an appreciation for families and a love of gardening and service to

others. Her stories of growing up with her family were countless and a

constant reminder of her love towards her family and close cousins during

those early years of life.

Carol reminded us often of starting first grade in the gray rock

schoolhouse of Lewisville, with bathrooms outside in an area with long and

difficult winters. She enjoyed school and graduated from Rigby High School

followed by summer work and onto Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). After

school she landed back in Idaho Falls where she took a job at Montgomery

Wards in the credit office. It was here she would meet her eternal

companion Dick Prestwich who had just recently finished up his army service

and worked on the same floor of the furniture department. In her own words

"One night I was standing at the stop sign and Dick pulled up and asked if

I wanted a ride, it was snowing very hard and he had such a nice looking

car, so how could I say no" Carol and Dick were inseparable from that time

forward and later married and sealed as eternal companions in the Idaho

Falls temple.

Carol and Dick started their family in Idaho Falls with 4 girls and

eventually made the decision to move to the Columbia Basin and settled in

Othello Washington where their family grew to 5. Farming was the pull that

moved them to the area where the entire family contributed from bookkeeping

to cutting alfalfa or meeting as a family on those hot fall days to share a

lunch during harvest. While in Othello, Carol continued her love for

service through church callings, local Red Cross blood drives, volunteering

at school functions and caring for elderly neighbors.

After Dick's passing from cancer, Carol made the decision to serve an LDS

mission at the church's family history center in Salt Lake City where she

helped countless people from around the world learn more about their

ancestral history. Upon completion, she moved from Othello to the Tri

Cities area to be closer to two of her daughters and gain a little more

independence from the larger home and its many tasks. Her Othello

community will always be her foundation but her willingness to reach out to

others allowed her to gain new and wonderful friends while in her new home.

Her love for socializing and making everyone feel welcome was a gift she

used at every opportunity which allowed her to know when people were in

need of a little extra help or a grandchild who simply needed a hug from a

grandmother. It was during this time that Carol was able to travel more

with family or friends while still keeping every home she had filled with

photos, stained glass, quilts, afghans and a constant welcoming spirit. It

was also during this time that Carol continually found the time to share

special moments with each and everyone of her grandkids letting them know

how much she cared for them.

To know Carol was to know a beautiful woman whose life was filled with

love, friends and family. Carol is preceded in death by her husband Dick

and daughter Laura, her parents Wilhelm and Leone Sauer, her brothers Neal

and Stanley and sisters Eileen, Melba, Leonara and Enid.

She is survived by her children - JoAnn, Cheryl, Rachelle, and David as

well as her 14 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

Carol Prestwich's funeral and burial services are as follows:

Viewing and Service

Viewing Friday, May 31st from 10-11:00am followed by a service from 11:00am

to 12:00pm.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

8120 W 4th Ave

Kennewick, WA 99336

(Send zoom link requests to david.prestwich@gmail.com)

Burial

Friday, May 31st at 2:00pm

Bess Hampton Memorial Cemetery

Othello, WA 99344