Caroline Elaine (Martin) Ferderer went to her heavenly home on December 17, 2023, surrounded by her family at CHI St Alexius.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. at Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary church with Rev. Jared Johnson officiating. Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. with a Rosary/Vigil Service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Bismarck Funeral Home. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Caroline was born on August 11, 1938, to Simon and Anna (Benfiet) Martin. She graduated from Bismarck High School.
On June 2, 1958, Caroline married the love of her life, John Ferderer, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bismarck. Caroline quickly transitioned from a “city gal” to a farmer’s wife. Caroline and John were devoted members of St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, Crown Butte. She was a member of St. Vincent’s Altar Society and Crown Butte Homemakers club. The joy of her life was raising her 10 children with John and imparting the value of faith and devotion to God, hard work and protecting her family.
Caroline always prepared big Sunday dinners for her family to enjoy after Mass. This usually consisted of 3 chickens, 5 lbs of potatoes, 2 loaves of bread, and a delicious dessert. Celebrating her children’s milestones was always an event that included lots of food and love. Caroline embraced being a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She will be fondly remembered as “The Great One”.
After Caroline and John moved to Bismarck, Caroline worked various jobs. Her favorite was taking care of her grandchildren. She liked to spoil them with cookies and trips to the Dollar Store.
Caroline loved to travel to see her daughter’s families in Arizona and California. She also enjoyed trips with John and her children to Medora, Mexico, Yellowstone, and Portland.
She enjoyed attending any event her grandchildren participated in, especially the ones that involved music. Celebrating birthdays, graduations and weddings were the highlights of her grandma years. In her spare time, you could catch her watching her favorite game shows and movies, reading a book, coloring, or working on a crossword puzzle. Charlie Brown and Snoopy always held a special place in her heart.
Caroline is survived by her children Julie Wald, Jane (Corey) Walth, Deb (Steve) Schmalz, Diane (Keith) Berger, Janet (Robert) Jones, Donna (Darin) Starck, Darin (Cathy) Ferderer, Jolene (Patrick) Tormey, Dawn (Bruce) Schumacher, and Jeremy Ferderer, 18 Grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren.
Caroline was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, John, two infant daughters, granddaughter Shana Heinrich, and son-in-law Donald Wald.
The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude for the care mom received from the staff at the Terrace, Miller Pointe, and the 4 th floor of CHI St. Alexius.