Carol Jean Avenmarg (née Ruple) was born on November 22, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Wilfred and Helen Ruple (née Swan). Carol was the third child, following older brother, Al, and older sister, Marion. She and Marion had a deep and wonderful bond as sisters and good friends.

Her dad always called Carol his little girl. She often told a story about bringing home a stray dog and telling her dad she had to keep it because it had followed her home. He objected at first, but his little girl won that argument and she had her first pet, the first of many animals that would keep her company over the years.

Her mom, Helen, passed away suddenly when Carol was only 14 years old. Her father later remarried Mozzelle. Her father called Carol after the marriage and asked her if she would like to talk to her new mother. She angrily replied, "That woman is not my mother." She later learned to love Mozzelle, but she wanted everyone to know that no one ever replaced her mother.

Carol graduated from Bedford High School in 1948 and met her first husband, Frank Grezlik, at Pawnee Lanes in Bedford. They eloped to Indiana in 1951 and had three children: Jackie Louise, born in 1952; Bonnie Jean, born in 1953; and Ronald Frank, born in 1966. She would often lovingly tell Ronnie that her pregnancy with him was a mistake, but it was the best mistake she ever made.

Carol lived in the Bedford area until 1979 when she moved to Twinsburg with her son and her second husband, Edward Avenmarg, whom she married in 1975. She resided in Twinsburg until her death. Over the years, she worked for Automated Vending, Inc., at cafeterias at Seaway Foods in Bedford Heights and at Automated Packaging in Twinsburg and Streetsboro. She also worked at the Twinsburg McDonald's as a cashier in the drive-through. She was very good at her job and always kept the line moving rapidly. She was known as Aunt Carol by most of her coworkers at McDonald's, and she really enjoyed working there with her actual nephew and niece, Ray and Patty Avenmarg.

Her passions included animals, especially cats; the Cleveland Indians, classic country music from the 1950s to the 1970s; the Statler Brothers; and Elvis Presley. Her favorite song was "Amazing Grace," and her favorite version was performed by Il Divo. She loved game shows, and she would always watch "Wheel of Fortune," "Jeopardy," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," and "Deal or No Deal." In recent years, she enjoyed watching "America's Got Talent" and "Chicago Fire." She liked the character of Kelly Severide, played by Taylor Kinney. She would give a big sigh and say, "He is so cute."  Every November she would talk about John F. Kennedy. It always saddened her that he was killed on her 33 ^rd birthday.

Carol had a deep love for her family. Her children had given her 5 grandchildren—all boys: David, Jason, Stevie, Ricky, and Jared. She also had great-grandchildren: Mikey, Jarrett, Rogan, Daxton, and Avery. With Avery, she finally had a great-granddaughter—the first girl in the more than 60 years since Bonnie was born. Carol enjoyed all of her family, but was especially happy when Avery would visit her.

Carol enjoyed bowling on leagues. She bowled on Friday nights with daughter Bonnie and friends Diane and Erica and on Saturday nights with husband Ed and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Lynn and Ray Avenmarg. She enjoyed camping with Ed and her stepson Chris and son Ronnie.

She enjoyed a trip to Niagara Falls with her son and her friend she called Auntie Lou. She also enjoyed trips to Houston, TX, to visit her sister and to Cooperstown, NY, to enjoy the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Carol would often say that the worst day of her life was August 25, 1993, when her daughter, Jackie, suddenly passed away at only 41 years of age. Carol had many physical problems in her later years. The emotional, mental, and physical pains are finally over and perhaps she is with Jackie again.