Carolyn Laufenburger

Carolyn L. Laufenburger, age 85, of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, died peacefully at Buffalo Lake Healthcare Center, Buffalo Lake, MN surrounded by family, on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, February 16, 2026, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls with burial to follow in the Redwood Falls Cemetery, Redwood Falls, MN. Visitation will precede the service from 9:30 until 11:00 at the church. Lunch will be served following the burial.

Arrangements are with Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Services of Redwood Falls and Morgan. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

Carolyn was born at home in North Redwood, Minnesota, the youngest of five children born to Oscar and Alma (Castle) Simondet. The house in the woods that her father built was her whole world for her first eighteen years, and it shaped her deeply—instilling a lifelong love of hard work, music, faith, and a home where doors were open for two to twenty guests at any given time, modeling her lifelong love of hosting.

Her schooling began in a one-room schoolhouse in North Redwood. In eighth grade, she transferred to what she always called “the big city” of Redwood Falls, where she continued her education and graduated with many honors in 1958. That same year, Carolyn was offered a full-ride scholarship to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She was excited and ready to begin college, but life took a different turn that summer, and she became a young bride in the fall of 1958. From that marriage, she was given two daughters, who became the great pride of her life.

From an early age, music was the language of Carolyn’s world. Her parents were musical, and their love of music passed naturally to their youngest child. As her daughter once said, “My mom, Alma, was self-taught and always played the piano for just about every function in town.” She even played the organ for silent movies shown above the Simondet family’s general store. As soon as Carolyn was tall enough to reach the keys, she began learning to play. She started piano lessons with Mrs. Avis Marsh at the age of five and was already playing for school functions by fifth grade.

In addition to piano, Carolyn played trumpet, learned organ, studied voice, and immersed herself fully in music. After beginning her education in District 69 in North Redwood, she continued in Redwood Falls, where she studied under music educators Stanley Lindbergh and Abner Grender. She held both men in deep respect, especially Grender, a composer who wrote the school’s alma mater and emphasized excellence and discipline—values Carolyn carried throughout her life.

Though she once dreamed of performing professionally and even auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera at age eighteen (“I didn’t win,” she would say later with a laugh), encouragement from her mentor, Mrs. Marsh, kept her moving forward. Like many gifted musicians, she ultimately found her calling not on a grand stage, but in teaching, serving, and lifting others.

Carolyn studied at the McPhail School of Music and continued her piano education under Robert Whitcomb at SMSU. In 1970, she was awarded the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree through the Minnesota Music Teachers Association. Over the decades, she provided piano, organ, vocal, and instrumental instruction to hundreds of students, shaping not only musicians but disciplined, thoughtful people. Her teaching style was no-nonsense, exacting, and deeply caring—because, as she firmly believed (and often reminded her students), a job worth doing is worth doing well, a lesson taught to her early by her father.

Music was only one way Carolyn served her community. She was the accompanist in schools for decades and worked full-time with the local choir program for over twenty-five years. Over her lifetime, she played for more than 5,000 worship services, 500 funerals, and hundreds of weddings—quietly marking the most sacred moments of countless lives.

Her service extended well beyond music. She served nine years on the Redwood Falls Hospital Commission, becoming the first woman to ever serve—and later chair—the board. She was active in the Concert Association, Woman’s Club, Library Commission, and served for more than thirty years on the cemetery association. In 2013, she was inducted into the Redwood Valley Hall of Fame in the Community category, an honor that genuinely surprised her. “It’s overwhelming,” she said at the time—though those who knew her were not surprised at all.

Carolyn’s work ethic was formed early. She began “working” at the age of five, candling eggs at her parents’ general store—though she later admitted she had no idea what “candling eggs” really meant. By eleven, she was painting houses alongside her father and brother in the family business, O.W. Simondet & Son. Those early years taught her responsibility, humility, and grit—qualities she carried for the rest of her life.

On July 14, 2025, a simple misstep changed everything. Carolyn stubbed her toe and fell forward, breaking both shoulders. Unable to get up, she waited nearly forty-five minutes until her mail carrier finally passed by, flagging down help with the same determination that had carried her through her entire life. That fall began a seven-month journey through five hospitals, seven care facilities, and more than twenty-five different rooms. There was not a single day in those months that she was without pain, and she grew profoundly weary of needles, procedures, and the constant demands placed on a body that had already given so much. She endured two surgeries—one on her shoulder and one on her heart—but in the end, her body could no longer continue the fight. Carolyn ultimately came to Buffalo Lake Healthcare Center, where she was welcomed with open arms and treated with exceptional kindness, dignity, and care. With a peaceful look on her face, she took her final breath with her daughters at her side.

What truly defined Carolyn was her strength, sharp humor, stubborn streak, kindness, and remarkable resilience. She lived by the words of Micah 6:8: “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” She believed deeply in justice and fairness for all, followed world events closely, and felt them personally—never turning away from suffering or injustice, even when it weighed heavily on her heart.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Alma Simondet; her siblings and spouses, Walter (Lorna) Simondet, Douglas (Mary) Simondet, Norman (Virginia) Simondet, and Donna (Ras) Kalnes; her husband, Robert Laufenburger (2012); and her beloved chosen family members, Michael Hopkins, and most recently, Christopher Hopkins.

She is survived by her daughters, Tamara (Mark) Almich of rural Hutchinson, MN, and Kirsten (Larry) Krier of Inver Grove Heights, MN; her stepsons, Ryan Laufenburger and Rhett (Kimberly) Laufenburger, all of Phoenix, AZ; her grandchildren, Alex (Maddie) Almich, Zachary (Tierney) Almich, Claire Almich, Casey and Carly Krier, Michael, Ronan and Desmond Laufenburger, Asher Laufenburger, Kevin Prokopec and Parker Laufenburger. Carolyn was also blessed with two great-grandchildren, Brooks and Ellery Almich, and a third on the way. Carolyn also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In addition, she is also survived by her chosen family—Joann Hopkins and Michelle Hopkins-Hall, and Robert Lindquist—whose friendship spanned decades and whose love meant the world to her.

Carolyn lived a life of quiet leadership, unwavering standards, deep faith, and profound service. The music she played, the lessons she taught, the justice she insisted upon, and the love she gave continue to echo through the lives of all who knew her. Those who were taught by her, strengthened by her example, welcomed at her table, or comforted by her music will carry her influence for the rest of their lives. She did justice, loved mercy, walked humbly—and would want us to know that practice still matters, dammit!

May she rest in peace.