Carol W. Ruzic died on Jan. 25, 2025, at age 96 after hitting her head in a fall a few weeks earlier. She was active until the end, curating the Beverly Shores Depot Museum, feeding raccoons and spending time with a huge number of friends and family.

Carol was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 19, 1928. Her father, Albert Kalsbeek, was an immigrant from Holland and her mother, Ida Grassmader, an immigrant from Germany.

Carol lived the American dream. She graduated from Northwestern with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and later got a master’s in education. In 1950, Carol and her husband, Neil Ruzic (who died in 2004) moved to Beverly Shores, Indiana, where she taught first and second grade. At one point, Carol was the president of the Town Board and had the distinction of being the longest-abiding resident of the town she loved so much.

In her later years, she worked tirelessly to save the Beverly Shores train station, helping turn it into a museum, gallery and gift shop where she created almost all of the exhibits.

Carol is survived by her son, David Ruzic (Marilyn); and grandsons, Ryan Ruzic (Eileen) and Brandon Ruzic (Maria); step-grandchildren, Gavin Hyde (Jackie), Stacia Carlson (Justin) and Shelby Cain; and seven great-grandchildren, as well as the many people in Beverly Shores who also called her Mom.

She was so great of an animal lover that she even had a Cat-Crossing sign made and installed in front of her house on the lake front. She will be so missed by many – including the raccoons! (They are being relocated to a sanctuary in Ohio).

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/lpheralddispatch/name/carol-ruzic-obituary?id=57427039