Carol Elaine Brace Neufeld Stout's Obituary
Life History for Carol Elaine Brace Neufeld Stout
March 31, 1933 – November 21, 2025
Carol Elaine Brace Neufeld Stout died on November 21, 2025 at River Rock Adult Family Home in University Place, Washington. Though her passing is sorrowful, we have great joy and peace knowing that she is now in the everlasting care and sustaining love of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. She is free to rejoice with all the saints who have gone before her. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good!
Carol was born at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri on March 31, 1933. Her parents were Clifford Paul Brace and Elizabeth Dorothy Rueter Brace. Carol lived her early years in St. Louis near both her maternal and paternal grandparents as well as a loving extended family. She was baptized at Bethany Lutheran Church where she was surrounded by caring fellowship, nurture and love.
In WW II, her father Clifford Paul Brace was stationed with the Marines at Honolulu, Hawaii. After the war, the family joined him in Hawaii where he had secured a job as a supervisor at Love’s Bakery. Carol graduated from Punahou High School in 1951.
Following graduation, Carol and two other young women from Hawaii were recruited by President Seth Eastvold to attend Pacific Lutheran College (now PLU) in Parkland, Washington. Carol and her companions were the first students to attend PLC from what was then the territory of Hawaii.
Carol earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from PLC in Spring of 1955. While at PLC she met Harvey John Neufeld, a Canadian-born seminary student from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada who was also studying at the college. Harvey and Carol were married on August 19,1955 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Parkland, Washington. The newly married couple were of humble financial means, having just completed their initial education. Their honeymoon consisted of driving three days straight from Parkland to the prairies of Saskatchewan where Harvey worked with a family friend harvesting wheat. Though Carol was not particularly keen to spend their honeymoon in the spare bedroom next to the farmer and his wife, she loved her new husband and was content with him.
Then began the journey of life, work and raising a family. In 1957 Harvey and Carol moved from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Meadowlake, Saskatchewan where the family served their first church parish. Carol was a stay-at-home mom during this time. The young family subsequently moved several times as was necessitated by the calls of the Canadian Lutheran Church.
Harvey and Carol lived in Saskatoon and Meadowlake, and then Edmonton and Camrose, Alberta. She also worked briefly at two schools in Saskatoon before the birth of their first child Gregory. In her memoirs she recounts her commute between the two schools in the frigid Canadian winter, “I spent a lot of time waiting for buses and being cold.” Carol was always a devoted, patient and incredibly kind mother and wife.
Her children were born as follows: Gregory Paul at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1956; David Brian and Elizabeth Lei, at Meadowlake, Saskatchewan, in 1958 and 1960, respectively; and, Stephen Glenn at Camrose, Alberta in 1963. Greg, Brian and Stephen survive their mother. Sadly, Beth died in a glider plane accident in 1996. Beth’s death was a deep loss for Carol and Harvey and brothers.
In 1965 Carol and her family moved to Parkland, Washington where Harvey began work as Church Relations Director at Pacific Lutheran University. At that time, Carol began teaching at public schools in the Lakewood and Dupont areas. In her earlier years, Carol taught Kindergarten, English, and Social Studies. In 1969 the family moved to Ocean Shores, Washington where Harvey started the mission church of Galilean (Lutheran) Chapel. While at Ocean Shores Carol taught English at Hoquiam High School. Moving back to Parkland in 1971, Carol taught English at Bethel High School. She also taught classes on Driftwood Sculpture at Clover Park Vocational in Lakewood, WA. Carol finished her nearly 40 -year education career as the librarian at Bethel Junior High School. She briefly came out of retirement to work as a substitute teacher at Curtis High School and then as the librarian at Steilacoom High School.
Carol’s hobbies included driftwood sculpture as well as researching Washington State and local history, and writing history articles and books. Her articles are found in the Steilacoom Museum Quarterly: https://steilacoomhistorical.online/quarterly-newsletters/
and Historic Fort Steilacoom Association Quarterly: https://historicfortsteilacoom.org/newsletters/
Carol is a published author of two books, Bethel School District #403: An Illustrated History and The History of the Steilacoom School District. Carol’s dedication to preserving local and family history is unsurpassed and her family and community have benefited from her insights and hard work.
Carol’s husband Harvey died in April 2000 after nearly 45 years of marriage. This was a difficult time for our family but especially for our mother Carol. Grief takes its time. Carol was not one to sit on the sidelines however. A few years after Harvey’s death Carol announced that she was not going to stay on the “widow’s bench” at church any longer. On January 5, 2005 Carol was married to Orville Stout, whom she knew from her work at the Steilacoom Historical Museum Association and Historic Ft. Steilacoom Association. They shared a love for research, writing, publishing and preserving local history. Orville died on July 3, 2023 after 18 years of marriage to Carol.
In the closing years of her life, Carol experienced increasing memory loss. Her dementia was especially pronounced at the end. However, she would show fleeting moments of lucidity and humor. Only a month or so before her death, one of the caretakers at River Rock Adult Family Home asked her if she needed anything. She chuckled and replied, “A boyfriend.”
Carol was predeceased by her husband Harvey Neufeld, her parents Cliff and Betty Brace, her brother Ed Brace, her daughter Elizabeth (Beth) Neufeld and second husband Orville Stout.
Carol is survived by her sons and their families: Greg and Marilyn Fowlie-Neufeld and children Rowan Neufeld, Elena Fowlie-Neufeld and Brad Thomas, Christina Fowlie-Neufeld and John Lozinsky, Martha Fowlie-Neufeld; Brian and Kristin Neufeld and children Bekah Neufeld, Nicole Neufeld, Brynna and Nate Desantiago, Jake Neufeld; Stephen Neufeld and children Ashley Neufeld and fiancée Seth Greenbaum, Tatianna Neufeld. Carols’s great-grandchildren are Blaire Desantiago, Una Lozinsky, Joseph Lozinsky, and Elora Thomas.
In 92 years of life Carol had gone through many hard times, some of great sorrow. Even so, she also experienced times of immense joy and celebration. She has had the roles of daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, mentor, author, historian, caregiver, encourager, and humorist. Most importantly, Carol was a woman defined by tenacious love for her family and deep and abiding faith in her Creator—Jesus Christ. She is a beloved child of God: forgiven and renewed eternally in Heaven.
Are we sorrowful at Mom’s passing? Yes. But make no mistake, her last breath on earth was of no consequence because she is now in the arms of her loving Savior. Death has no power over the believer. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” I Corinthians 15:55).
Carol Elaine Brace Neufeld Stout, well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master. (Matthew 25:21).
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