Rapid City – Carol Ann Rickert - On September 30, 1941 in New Underwood, South Dakota, Gerald and Eva (Colling) Greenwalt welcomed their daughter, Carol Ann, into the world. Carol was the eldest of her three siblings: Dean, Deanne, and Craig.

When Carol was four years old, her parents moved to the family's ranch near Owanka. She loved growing up on the ranch. Some of her favorite childhood memories involved being outdoors and caring for their animals. Even after she moved away, she continued to be a loving caretaker of the property, which has been in her family for over a century.

Carol attended a one room schoolhouse until she started high school. In 1959, she graduated from New Underwood High School and moved to Rapid City to attend Saint John's McNamara School of Nursing. Following graduation, Carol worked as a Registered Nurse for forty years until she retired from Rapid City Regional Hospital in April 2005. She maintained lifelong friendships with her nursing school classmates, gathering with them yearly for long weekends to share memories and laughter.

In January 1962, Carol met the love of her life, Joseph Rickert, while he was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. They were married on her parents' 25th wedding anniversary, June 30, 1962, at Saint John's Catholic Church in New Underwood. Joe and Carol had three daughters: Barbara, Denise, and Michele. Always side-by-side, Carol and Joe loved each other deeply. Together they built a strong family bond with their children and grandchildren.

Carol was a fifty-year member of Beta Sigma Phi and built lasting friendships with her sorority sisters. They experienced a special closeness, celebrating each other's happiness and providing support during difficult times.

Carol loved life. She enjoyed camping and lazy days spent at the lake, gardening and tending her many beautiful flowers and plants, watching and feeding the birds in her yard, long walks full of conversation, dancing, summer evenings spent on the patio, and a cozy fire on a cold winter night. She loved drives through the beautiful Black Hills with a stop for ice cream, the full moon rising across the prairie, and the peacefulness of time spent at her family ranch. Carol loved the Lord and her church. For fifty-three years, she celebrated her faith at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

On March 5, 2020, Carol left this world surrounded by her family. Carol was a kind, courageous, and patient woman who selflessly supported the ones she loved. She was so much more than a wife, a mother, and a grandmother—she was our best friend and the heart and soul of our family. Carol saw every day as an opportunity for fun, and in doing so, she brought special joy to our lives.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Eva Greenwalt, her siblings, Dean Greenwalt, Deanne Dorsey, and Craig Greenwalt, and her niece, Ashley Greenwalt. She lives on through her beloved husband, Joe, her children, Barbara and Chuck Lanter, Denise and Russ Sprague, and Michele Lewis, and her grandchildren, Matthew, Lora, and Sara Waeckerle.

Visitation will be at Blessed Sacrament Church in Rapid City on Thursday, March 12 from 5–7 p.m. with a Vigil at 7 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Adam Hofer at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 13 at Blessed Sacrament Church with a reception immediately following. A private family burial will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established to the Rapid City Parks Department.