Carolyn Etzel

Service Details

Carolyn Joan Etzel passed away peacefully on May 20, 2026, at Yellowstone River Health & Rehabilitation after a brief fight with pancreatic cancer. Born in Billings, MT on July 17th, 1941, Carolyn was the eldest of five children born to parents Joe & Anna Weigel. Carolyn attended school in several Montana and Nevada locations as the Weigel family grew and pursued the goals of her parents. New locations were new adventures for Carolyn, and her willingness to meet new people, engage in new activities, and explore the countryside of any given place allowed her to develop into an easy-to-like person who carried a warm smile and a gracious personality. Carolyn attended and graduated from Laurel High School in 1960. It was during this time that she would meet and later marry her special person, Norman Shay. They were married in 1963 while Norm was home on leave from the US Navy, thus beginning a new adventure for Carolyn, this time to San Diego, California. The following year, after returning to Montana at the end of the Navy enlistment, the couple was blessed with their only child, Victor. The couple moved often as occupations changed, and other opportunities developed. Their outgoing personalities allowed quick friendships to form wherever life placed them during the years they remained together. Over the years, she shared chapters of her life with two spouses, Norman Shay and Jim Etzel. She remained devoted to her work in bookkeeping and accounting throughout her working years until retiring from ConAgra after many years of service. Carolyn lived life with a sense of adventure and curiosity that inspired those around her. She loved exploring new places, taking drives just to see where the road would lead, spending time outdoors, and creating unforgettable memories with the people she cared about most. She treasured even the simple moments shared with loved ones. Carolyn had an artistic spirit that shone through her passion for painting, drawing, journaling, and photography, capturing the world around her. One of her greatest joys was cooking and sharing food with family and friends. Her kitchen was a place of comfort, laughter, and togetherness, where everyone felt welcomed and cared for. Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Nick and Don Weigel, and is survived by brother Charlie (Debbie) Weigel, sister Deb Weigel, son Vic (Diana) Shay, grandchildren Kaelen Shay, Victoria (Logan) Donally, great-grandson Finn, and numerous nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. Carolyn will join other family members to be laid to rest at Rockvale Cemetery, with a celebration of her life to be held at a later dat