Carol Gosnell

Carol Gosnell, 79, passed away on February 1, 2026, in Pendleton, IN. She was born June 3, 1946, and from the very beginning, her life was shaped by motion. Her dad was a minister, and that meant the family moved nearly every year. Carol never attended the same school twice, and instead of making her feel unsettled, it seemed to wire her for momentum. New places, new faces, new seasons. She learned how to jump in fast, live fully, and keep going.

That pace showed up early. Carol and her sister, Evie, were rotten in the funniest ways. The sisters had to share everything, while their brother, Wendell, got his own, and Carol was plenty spicy about that. Every now and then, that spice meant sneaking out at midnight on their shared bike, racing to a grumpy old man's window, pounding on the glass, shouting, "Old Man, Old Man, Come out of your shell!", and flying away laughing into the dark. They did not just make noise, they made stories. The flour fight was another one, a burst of chaotic laughter that left flour from ceiling to floor and out the door, like their fun could not be contained inside four walls.

After graduating from Oblong High School in 1964, Carol stepped into adulthood like she stepped into everything else: working hard and keeping busy. She spent time at L.S. Heath & Sons and took on a variety of odd jobs along the way. Then Bill Gosnell reentered the picture. They had dated before, and when Bill saw Carol out and about with her mom, he figured she wasn't married. What he didn't know was that she was engaged, and Carol didn't bother to mention that little detail. When Bill found out, he gave her an ultimatum, and Carol made the right choice. On November 28, 1970, she and Bill were married, beginning a partnership that would last the rest of her life.

After all, once Carol chose Bill, she did not just choose a husband. She chose a teammate. They did everything together, and if there was work to do, Carol was in it with him. That is how their life moved, side by side, one chapter to the next. In Newton, she spent a season at home but still picked up odd jobs, including cleaning at the bank where Bill worked. In the early '80s, they bought Pages Printing and ran it for several years, and it would not be the last time they bet on a new idea and followed it into a new season.

Before long, they were on the move again, this time to Robinson, where they bought and operated the Dog'N'Suds. Later came Nashville, IN, and their antique store, Countryside, a place that reflected Carol's eye for beauty and detail so well that it was even featured in Midwest Living. She loved primitive antiques, especially antique furniture, and she had a natural gift for decorating that drew people to ask for her help. That eye did not stay at the shop. It followed her home. If something sat in the same spot too long, she would move it. A chair would slide to a new corner, a table would trade walls, a room would get reinvented, not because anything was wrong, but because Carol could not stand for life to feel stuck. That same instinct may be why their business ventures rarely lasted more than five or six years. It wasn't because they failed, but because Carol and Bill were always brave enough to begin again.

Eventually, the road carried them south to Florida. For anyone else, it might have been a season to slow down, but Carol was not wired that way. Instead, she walked miles every day while Bill fished, soaking up sunshine and fresh air like it was medicine. They swam in the pool, spent long hours outside, and kept living the same way they always had, together and on the move.

Through every chapter and every change of address, one thing never moved: Carol's love for her family, especially her grandkids. Simply put, they were it for her. She treasured watching them grow, spoiling them shamelessly, and sincerely believed they could do no wrong. Being their grandma was one role she never got tired of. And near the end, when words became harder to gather, love was still the clearest thing in her. Her grandson heard her last clear words before she died, words we are carrying in our own hearts: "I miss you, I love you."

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Bill Gosnell; by her daughters, Misty Boyd (Palestine, IL) and Trisha & Stephen Maddox (Fishers, IN); by her grandchildren, Mikelle Dedrick, William Maddox, Ella Maddox, and Sienna Dedrick; by her great-grandchildren, Aubriella, Braelyn, Gatlin, and Angel; by her brother, Wendell Newcomb (Robinson, IL); her sister, Evelyn "Evie" Bliss (Oblong, IL); by her nieces & nephews-in-law, Alisa & Markus Hodel, Shannon & Jason Pargin, and Michelle & Johnny Neeley; as well as several great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clifford Newcomb and Mildred Evelyn Wise; by her step-mother, Athalie Newcomb; by her son-in-law, James Boyd; by her sister-in-law, Midge Newcomb; and by her brother-in-law, Joe Bliss.

A time of visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 21st, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A memorial service officiated by Celebrant Curt Goodwine will immediately follow and be held at 11:00 a.m. During the service, family and friends will be given the opportunity to speak to the fullness of this dear woman's life. In honor of Carol and the strength she showed throughout her battle with Parkinson's disease, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and memorial envelopes will be available at the funeral home. Donations may be made online using the link below.