Carol Jean (Bennis) Novak

Carol Jean (Bennis) Novak

Iowa City

Carol Jean (Bennis) Novak, of Stoughton, WI and Iowa City, IA, passed away peacefully on September 11, 2024, at the age of 88.

Raised in Delmar, IA, she met Thomas E. Novak while earning a nursing degree at St. Ambrose College (now St. Ambrose University) in Davenport. They were married June 16,1956 in Delmar. Tom died in 2021, a few days before their 65th wedding anniversary.

They raised five children, who all survive them: Matt (Sandie) of Lombard, IL, Mark (Tess) of Des Moines, IA, Tom (Kim) of Iowa City, IA, Mary (Glen Riffle) of Tomah, WI, and John (Bradley Greenwald) of Minneapolis, MN.

Carol took great joy in her large extended family, centered in the farmlands of eastern Iowa and delighted in her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Carol’s parents, Jeremiah and Florence (Lane) Bennis, and her brothers Richard and Gary, preceded her in death.

She is survived by her brother Jerry (Connie) Bennis of Clinton, IA, and by her dear friends Peggy Kiss and Mary Ripp, both of Stoughton.

Carol will be remembered for her faith; she built strong connections at St. Ann Catholic Parish in Stoughton. She loved books and was a longtime volunteer for the Stoughton Public Library. She also loved travel, so she and Tom explored North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East together. But her greatest passion was her family; her mind contained an encyclopedia of their lives and livelihoods that spanned more than a century.

Memorial services are being planned for October. Carol’s cremated remains will be interred at Patrick’s Cemetery in Delmar, IA.

Tributes and memories can be shared at www.lensingfuneral.com. Memorials may be made to St. Ann Catholic Parish, the Stoughton Public Library or the charity of your choice.