Obituary of Caroline Zeiss

Caroline W. Zeiss, 95, of State College, Pennsylvania, formerly of Santa Cruz, California, and Dallas, Texas, died on December 18, 2010, at Foxdale Village in State College. Born February 17, 1915, in Copperas Cove, Texas, she was a daughter of the late August Weiss and Johanna Bohmfalk Weiss. She was the last survivor of the ten children in her family. She attended Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, and the University of Texas at Austin. While at Blinn College she met her future husband, George H. Zeiss, Jr., of Brenham. They were married in 1940. He preceded her in death. She was born and raised in Texas and always considered herself a Texan. She was absent from the state while her husband was posted elsewhere in military service during WWII and when he was in graduate school or on a few early jobs. They returned to Texas in 1950; he was a member of the faculty of Southern Methodist University from 1950 to 1985. While her children were in school, Caroline earned the degree of Master of Library Science from Texas Women's University. Subsequently she was a reference librarian for SMU. In early adulthood she was embarrassed by knowing how to quilt - poor people did that. She returned to it as a hobby and developed rich relationships in the quilting community in Dallas and won several first-place ribbons for her quilts at the State Fair of Texas. She continued to make quilts until her eyesight failed in the last six years. A lifelong Methodist, she was most recently a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in State College, Pennsylvania. Caroline is survived by three children, Carol Zeiss (and her husband Barry Lee), of Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania; Robert Zeiss (and his wife Antonette Zeiss), of Silver Spring, Maryland; and David Zeiss of Eugene, Oregon; three grandchildren, McKenzie Zeiss, Eric Lee, and Devyn Lee, and one great grandson, Tristram Zeiss. Her memorial service will be held at Foxdale Village on Tuesday, December 21 at 10:30 a.m., with the Rev. Eric Shafer officiating. Caroline asked that, in lieu of flowers, you make memorial contributions to the charity of your choice.