Obituary of Carole Lynn Rustad

Carole Lynn Rustad, age 72, of Wisconsin Rapids, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, March 30, 2020 at Aspirus Riverview Hospital. Due to concern for friends and family, a celebration of Carole’s life will take place at a later date. Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be assisting Carole’s family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net. Carole was born December 13, 1947 in Batavia, IL to Maurice and Ruth (Johns) Hassell. She was the only daughter with two brothers, Chrys and Kim Hassell. Her family moved to Milwaukee as a young child. She graduated from Shorewood High School and then attended UW-Oshkosh, after which she met her future husband, Darrell Rustad. They were married in 1971 and moved to Wisconsin Rapids in July 1977. Though they later divorced, they remained close. Carole began her career in law enforcement as a police dispatcher in 1970 for the Shorewood Police Dept. She continued her career as a dispatcher in Wisconsin Rapids, where she worked for the Wisconsin Rapids City Police Dept. for 34 years. The police department was like a second family to Carole; she developed many lifelong friendships while working there. Carole will be best remembered for her terrific sense of humor, feisty spirit, caring heart, and love and pride for her grandchildren. She loved camping, playing cards and board games, golfing, yelling at the Packer games, and having a drink with friends. Carole was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and nothing gave her more joy than spending time with her family. Carole was always ready for a road trip, but directions were not her forte; she always bragged about taking the “scenic route”. Her oldest grandson, Zack, recalls several half hour trips that turned into hours-long expeditions with many laughs to be had along the way! She was an avid Packer and Badger fan and loved watching the games with her grandson, Nathaniel. Carole also loved watching game shows, especially with her grandson, Ben, where they could shout out the answers to each other. Carole put on a terrific “spa day” for her granddaughters, Gaby and Abigail – she could be counted on to deliver a manicure to remember and to be a willing “model” for whatever the girls could think up! Even after being diagnosed with ALS, Carole retained her optimistic outlook. She greatly enjoyed her ALS support group, which met monthly at St. Luke’s in Wisconsin Rapids. Her favorite part of the meeting was meeting friends beforehand to eat and have a cocktail at Applebee’s! Carole loved helping others and this was true in her ALS support group as well. In fact, she was slated to be a panel member for the state-wide ALS Symposium in Milwaukee. Carole was an ever-supportive mother, a fantastic grandmother, and a true friend. She could be counted on to lend a helping hand whenever and however she could. She will be truly missed by all who knew her. Carole is survived by her children: Nicole (Dan) Trickle and Kyle Rustad. She is also survived by her two brothers: Chrys Hassell and Kim (Valarie) Hassell, her nephew, Trent Gerber, her niece, Michelle (Andrew) Kay, her grandchildren: Zachariah Trickle, Nathaniel Trickle, Benjamin Trickle, Gabrielle Trickle, and Abigail Trickle, her ex-husband Darrell (Nina) Rustad, and by a host of other loving relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents.