CAROL ELAINE STAATS

Carol Elaine Staats, 73, passed away Oct. 19, 2004, at her home in Wasilla.

A memorial service for Mrs. Staats was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' chapel at 901 East Bogard Road in Wasilla, with Bishop James Fife officiating.

Mrs. Staats was born Dec. 29, 1930, in Seattle. She grew up in Douglas, graduating as salutatorian of the 1948 class of Juneau-Douglas High School. She attended college at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. She later graduated from the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

Mrs. Staats was active in the arts community throughout her life. She enjoyed choral performance, wood carving, textile art, poetry, painting and writing. She was also an avid gardener and enjoyed recreational gold mining and berry picking.

Her poetry was published in numerous national and international poetry journals. She also enjoyed competing in poetry slams.

In the early 1970s, Mrs. Staats collaborated with Anchorage composer Alice Countryman, putting poetry to music for several musical productions, including ones performed by the Anchorage Community Chorus and Children's Theater. The two also worked on an Eskimo lullaby written by Mrs. Staats that was performed at the 1980 International Year of the Child Conference in Texas.

Mrs. Staats volunteered for the Alaska Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and served on the board for Nugen's Ranch. Her civic service touched the lives of many people for the better.

Mrs. Staats was proud of her Finnish heritage and was very active for many years in the Anchorage Suomi Club. She traveled to Finland several times to visit relatives and to more fully explore her ancestral homeland.

She met her husband, Bill, while traveling by bus through Montana. They were married in 1951 in Anchorage. They had four children and lived in Anchorage until 1972, when they moved to Wasilla.

Her loved ones wrote, "Carol was loved by her family and friends and will be greatly missed."

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Will and Linda Staats; son, Sanford Staats; daughter, Lillian Staats; granddaughters, Andrea, Kelley and Lara; brother, James Ruotsala of Juneau and numerous relatives in Finland, New York and Washington. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, son, Carl and by her parents, Bert and Elvira Ruotsala.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Nugen's Ranch, P.O. Box 871545, Wasilla, AK 99687 or NAMI Alaska, 144 W. 15th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501.

Arrangements were made by Kehl's Forest Lawn Mortuary and Crematory.