Carole M. Bellinghausen was born in Sidney, Montana in 1944 and passed in College Station, Texas in December 2022.

Shortly after graduating high school at age 17, she went to Dallas, Texas with one of her former teachers for a short-term trip. When her teacher returned, Carole decided to stay. She married Bill Bellinghausen in 1964, and together they bore daughter Shellie and adopted son Michael. The family later moved to Houston, where she lived most of her life. Carole was a stay-at-home mom until the kids graduated and left home, and she was very active in their lives as they grew up. After divorcing, she started working as a property manager for an office building in Houston. Later she became City Clerk for the City of Bunker Hill and City Secretary for the City of Spring Valley, both villages within Houston. Eventually she worked for an international chemical company, first as an administrative assistant to the Vice President and later as the Purchasing Director, before retiring. She moved in with her daughter in College Station, Texas a few years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Always adventurous, she loved exploring back roads on road trips, traveling, riding motorcycles, and collecting antiques so she could have her own antique store someday. She started finding treasures at garage sales and thrift stores in the ‘70s and continued collecting throughout her life. She had an artistic flair and enjoyed singing with Sweet Adelines when she was younger, painting, and learning sign language and Russian (or at least trying). She loved nature and the mountains, visiting numerous national parks across the country. Family was important to her, and many weekends were spent at state or local city parks, boating, roasting hot dogs, and telling stories around the campfire. She was easy to talk to and enjoyed making friends and staying connected to family.

One of the special qualities Carole passed on to her kids is helping those in need. Whether fostering a teenager when her own children were young, helping friends who were terminally ill, caring for widows and single moms, or opening her home to someone who needed a safe place to stay, she had a big, generous heart to help people. She also loved dogs and always adopted from shelters or animal rescues. Her children have continued her legacy of caring for others in their own lives, following her genuinely personal example.

Carole is survived by her children Shellie and Mike, daughter-in-law Vianet, grandchildren Philip M., Sebastian, Natalie, Emili, Joe, and Phillip E., as well as by her brother Dennis and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. Carole desired to be cremated, and because of her love for the mountains, her children plan to spread her ashes in the mountains with family in the spring. No memorial service is planned.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in her memory. Some dear friends, who showed so much love and kindness to Carole over the last year or so, operate a “free” grocery store in Florida, where people who are struggling to buy food can shop for what they need at no charge. It is run entirely by volunteers, and they serve approximately 60,000 seniors and families per year, as well as provide food to over 100 local area charities. Donations can be made online at http://www.tampabayharvest.org/donate.html or by mail to Tampa Bay Harvest, 9430 Lazy Lane, Tampa, FL 33614. Donations can also be made to the animal shelter near Carole’s home online at https://aggielandhumane.org/make-a-one-time-gift/ or by mail to Aggieland Humane Society, 5359 Leonard Road, Bryan, TX 77807.