Carol Lynne Gesslein

Carol Lynne (Mickelson) Gesslein, age 84, of Lansing, NY, was called home by the Lord on October 17, 2024, at the family home in Lansing, NY in the presence of her family. Carol was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan on July 8, 1940, a daughter of the late Lawrence P. and Zerelda E. Zinder. She was adopted by Paul Mickelson after her father died and her mother remarried. 

Carol, (Suzy, as she was known to family) was a woman of many talents and a beacon of love and warmth. She was an accomplished seamstress, teacher, homemaker and gardener. Her days were filled with acts of kindness and spontaneous fun activities from crafting individual notes for each of her children’s lunchboxes to joyful water fights and dancing in the aisles of stores while shopping with her husband.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, she enjoyed participating in church events, teaching the young children to love and care for others and in her later years spent much of her time researching family genealogy. Her belief that families are forever was very strong and she wanted to learn as much as she could about the many family members she never met, including those of her adoptive father, Paul Mickelson, who she was very fond of and was a very positive influence in her formative years.

She met George, the love of her life, on a blind date at Fall Weekend at Cornell University in 1958 where Carol was a student in the Food Nutrition program. They married in 1960 and raised five wonderful children and encouraged them to follow their dreams. She was a wonderful loving and caring person who taught her children that love was always the answer as she worked to knit together the forever family that she cherished. Sunday picnic lunches with George and a long walk through the Cornell Botanic Gardens after church on Sunday afternoons were one of her many joys in life.

After ten years traveling with the family as they followed George around the world in his army career, they settled in Lansing, NY and bought a small farm. Carol taught the children how to grow their own food, sew their own clothes and how to be independent and self-sufficient. She taught them to care for others and to always have a positive attitude.

Carol loved flowers. She learned how to grow and use them to help people see the beauty, love and happiness that they could bring to their lives. She taught those talents to others and started Carol’s Creations, a small business to provide flowers for weddings and special events. 

Carol was preceded in death by her mother Zerelda Mickelson, stepfather Paul Mickelson and her son George Gesslein II. She is survived by her husband George, her children, Lisa L. Wheeler (Mark) of Lansing, NY, Laura Holloway (Tim) of Williams, Oregon, Karl D. Gesslein (Thilde Jensen) of Wilseyville and Truxton, NY, and Paul Gesslein of Lansing, NY. She is also survived by her brother Michael J. Mickelson (Claudia) of Charlestown, Mass; seven grandchildren: Ariel Holloway (Nathan Sandford) of Portland, Oregon; Felix Holloway (Willow) of Ashland, Oregon; Trevor Wheeler, Bryce Wheeler, Ryan Wheeler, Nicole Wheeler, of Lansing, NY; and Orion Gesslein of Ithaca, NY; and three great-grandchildren: Ronan, Juno, and Elwood Holloway, of Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Hospicare, 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 or the Cornell Botanic Gardens, 124 Comstock Knoll Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850. Grave dedication and interment will be in the North Lansing Cemetery on Monday October 21, 2024, at 1:00 PM.