OSAGE – Carol Margaret Sullivan, 82, of Osage and formerly of New Haven, passed away Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Mitchell County Regional Health Center.
A Rosary will be prayed at 4:30 p.m. Monday, August 17, at St. Peter Catholic Church in New Haven. Visitation will follow from 5 to 7 p.m.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 18, at St. Peter Catholic Church, with Reverend Paul Baldwin officiating. Visitation will resume one hour before Mass.
Carol will be laid to rest during a private family inurnment at St. Peter Catholic Cemetery.
Born November 5, 1943, in Osage, Carol was the daughter of Bernard John and Regina Anna Bissen May. She graduated from Visitation High School in Stacyville in 1961 and later completed a program at the Gale Institute in Minneapolis.
Carol worked as a secretary at Mayo Clinic until November 1963. That same month, she married John J. Sullivan at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, Minnesota.
Carol and John spent their married life together on a farm near New Haven. Serving as the farm manager, Carol worked alongside her husband and played a central role in keeping the family operation moving forward.
Her Catholic faith remained an important part of her life. Carol belonged to St. Peter Catholic Church and generously served the parish in numerous capacities.
Her community involvement also included the American Legion Auxiliary and card clubs, where she enjoyed Bridge, 500 and Samba. Carol took an active interest in Democratic politics and once attended President Jimmy Carter’s inaugural ball.
Carol possessed many creative talents, including sewing and cake decorating. She enthusiastically followed the Minnesota Twins and Iowa State Cyclones and could frequently be found cheering for the Osage Green Devils.
Above all, she treasured opportunities to support her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at their activities.
Family members will also remember Carol’s chocolate chip cookies. She kept a supply in her freezer for visiting grandchildren, brought them to family gatherings and devoted time each Christmas to baking holiday treats for those she loved.
Those carrying forward Carol’s memory include her children, Lisa Cockrum and her husband, Keith, of Osage, Terry Sullivan and his wife, Becky, of West Linn, Oregon, Deb Erdmann and her husband, Darin, of Las Vegas, and Dawn Kruse and her husband, Tedd, of Decatur, Illinois.
Her grandchildren include Ross and Hillary Cockrum, Joe and Courtney Cockrum, Marcus and Brittney Erdmann, Ethan and Vanessa Erdmann, Jack Kruse, Ava Sullivan and John Grady Sullivan.
Carol is also survived by sisters Rita McCoy and her husband, Dan, Ann Wolf, Pam Fox and her husband, Richard, and Cathy Moellenbeck and her husband, Dan; brothers Gerard May and his wife, Janet, Eddie May and his wife, Teresa, and Mark May and his wife, Rose; sisters-in-law Audrey May, Mary Clausen and Marilyn Sullivan; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John; granddaughter Maddie Kruse; parents Bernard and Regina May; parents-in-law Harold and Marie Sullivan; brothers Bob and John May; brothers-in-law Tom Wolf, Keith Sullivan, Jerry Sullivan, Mark Sullivan and Bill Owen; and sisters-in-law Helen Sullivan and Dorothy Owen.
Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home is handling arrangements. To read more and see the full obituary, please click here.
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