Carol Jean Apfelbeck

After a brief illness, Carol Jean Apfelbeck, age 89, of Wausau, entered eternal rest on July 19, 2026. She was a lifelong resident of Wausau and the oldest of 4 children. Her parents were John Nielsen and Dorothy (Hackbarth) Klos. She graduated from Wausau High School in 1954.

Carol had several different retail jobs in the Wausau area. She took pride in helping her customers look their best and buy the perfect gift. She worked for Suburban, the United Shop, Katherine Kay, J.C. Penneys and Taffy's Hallmark store in Schofield. When she left retail, she worked for Rotographic Printing and for a brief time partnered with her first husband John and drove with Schneider Trucking. Her last several years of her career she was a compassionate caregiver for TLC Home Care.

In her retirement Carol loved to travel. She enjoyed visiting Iowa and Washington family, Alaska and Oregon. She loved spending time with her 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. On her own time Carol was an avid fiction reader and watched Animal Planet and National Geographic. She never tired of learning about other cultures, places and nature. She had a special love for animals, especially cats.

Carol is survived by her children, Faith (Alan) Neumann, Amy Nielsen (David Sullivan), Neal (Cami) Apfelbeck and Penny (Gregg) Thompson; siblings David Nielsen, Steven Nielson; her grandchildren, Tanya, John, Andrew, Anthony, Craig, Zach, Sydney; as well as her great-grandchildren, Michael, Brooks, Stella, Reggie, Cameron and Callum.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John Nielsen, Dorothy (Hackbarth) Klos and her sister and best friend JoAnn (Nielsen) Hintz.

A private memorial service will be held on August 6, 2026, on her 90th birthday.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Animal Rescue League (ARL). She loved and had extraordinary compassion for all animals.