Connie Rae (Nudson) Carlson

Connie Rae (Nudson) Carlson, of Gaylord, passed away on January 31, 2024, at the Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center, at the age of 79.

She was born on April 4, 1944, to Virgil Y. and Mildred M. (Noland) Nudson in Manhattan. She married Keith L. Carlson on February 14, 1965, in Sedalia. They were blessed with two sons: Cory and Coley.

Connie grew up in the Keats, Riley area of Riley County, Kansas, and graduated from Riley County High School in 1962. She started working alongside her mother at Farm Bureau in Manhattan, then for a while, and she was a welder at Gilmore-Tatge in Clay Center, where she welded flight for augers. She was a school bus driver for students from Kindergarten to Seniors for ten years, a UPS driver in Manhattan, Ft. Riley, and Junction City, a custodian and greenhouse operator at KSU, and at the same time, an animal caretaker used to teach students.

She and Keith were once members of the Wagon Wheel Whirlers Square Dancers and Buckbrush Riders Saddle Club.

Connie grew up with horses and owned a number of them. Connie and Keith almost always had horses, cows and milk cows, pigs, and chickens. She was a great gardener and did a lot of canning. She enjoyed exploring mountains and deserts, where Indians lived, prospecting, and oil and acrylic painting. She excelled in all ways and endeavors from wife, mother, homemaker, partner, friend, and getting us all through hard times.

Connie is survived by her husband, Keith of Gaylord; sons, Cory Dale (Cathy) Carlson of Stockton and Coley Joe (Carol) Carlson of Kiowa, Colo.; sister, Debra Lynn Nudson; five grandchildren, Warren Tyler (Melissa) Carlson, Colesie Lea Carlson, Orin (Tracy) Carlson, Dylan (Eleanor) Carlson, and Cheyene Carlson; and three great-grandchildren, Wade, Riley and Logan Carlson.

Preceding Connie in death are her parents.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 1 pm at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N. 1st, Stockton. Casual wear may be worn.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com