Carol Ann (Rojan) Pietsch, 74

Carol Ann (Rojan) Pietsch passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at Life Care of Sandpoint, Idaho. She was 74.

Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, July 3, 2009, at the First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint with the Rev. Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton officiating.

Carol was born Oct. 14, 1934, in Sandpoint, the first of four children born to Carl William Rojan and Elnora Adelaide Therien of Hope, Idaho.

She attended grade school in Hope and later graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1952. She attended the University of Idaho, graduating in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in home economics education.

Carol married Gary L. Pietsch, her high school sweetheart, in August 14, 1955. Their first home was in Moscow, Idaho, where they were senior students at the University of Idaho.

During her four years at the university, she was selected for two honor groups, Spurs and Mortar Board. She was also elected to the ASUI, student Executive Board. Carol began a 30-year teaching career in Bonner County in 1960. During that time, she taught at Sandpoint High School, Clark Fork High School and the Sandpoint Ninth Grade Center. She was selected as Idaho Home Economics Teacher of the Year in 1975. She earned her master’s degree in vocational education in 1978 and was working toward her Doctorate degree when she retired. She was fondly reminded of her teaching career almost every week when she'd bump into one of her former students.

During her teaching career, Carol served twice as president of the Bonner County Education Association, and served two terms on the Idaho Professional Standards Commission under the State Department of Education. She helped other professional colleagues rewrite the teaching curriculum for home economics classroom instruction used throughout the state's secondary schools.

Always a teacher and up for a challenge, Carol purchased the old Matheson farm house that sat in the middle of what would later become the Westwood condominium project from Bud Moon in 1975. She made arrangements to have the old structure moved to property the family owned near the University of Idaho Experiment Station north of Sandpoint. Under her direction, the family began a restoration of the structure from top to bottom in the period style of 1910. She employed students from her vocational classes during the summer vacation months, taught them how to hang sheetrock, tape and mud, wallpaper and paint. Over the ensuing years, many of her home economic students enjoyed gainful employment, learned and gained experience in the building trades and interior decorating on nine different projects she managed around the Sandpoint area. Carol delighted in working with and teaching young people of all ages, regardless of personality.

Throughout her lifetime, Carol never lost her love for art, photography, interior decorating, sewing, needlepoint, knitting and crocheting. Gary remarked that one of her achievements was to teach him how to crochet scarves, Afghans and prayer shawls. She loved baseball, basketball, water skiing, sailing, and skiing.

After retiring from teaching, Carol continued her interest in politics that led her into the leadership of the Democratic Party in Bonner County. She subsequently served as Precinct Captain for Humbird Precinct and both Vice Chairman and Chairman for the party. In 1994, she ran on the Democratic ticket for a seat in the Idaho Legislature and was subsequently elected as State Representative for Legislative District 1, comprising both Bonner and Boundary counties. She served in that office for one term in 1995 and 1996 on the house committees on education, health and welfare and business.

Following her retirement from teaching, Carol joined her husband Gary, working in their printing business, Selkirk Press Inc., from which they both retired in 2000. In their retirement they loved tending their Goose Crossing Iris Garden that, at its height, featured over 200 different varieties.

Carol and Gary celebrated their 50th golden wedding anniversary with family and friends in 2005 and would have enjoyed their 54th on Aug. 14.

Carol is survived by her husband, Gary; a son, Christopher and his wife, Therese and two granddaughters, Tiernan and Delaney of Creswell, Ore.; two daughters, Jaye Schuck and her husband David of Hope; and Wesley Dustman and her husband Jim and one grandson, Terrin of Sandpoint; two sisters, Patricia Patton and her husband Jim of Napa, Calif.; and Nora Nikkola and her husband Bill of Spokane, Wash.; and a brother, Russell and his wife Linda of Rosamond, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her parents, Carl and Elnora Rojan, preceded her in death.

Donations may be made in her memory to the Bonner County Alzheimer's Association Support Group, 220 S. Division St., Sandpoint, ID 83864or the Daybreak Center, c/o Sandpoint Area Seniors Inc, 820 Main St, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Carol's online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign her guest book.