Carol Sudik’s Story

 Many of us presently at Bloomington Living Hope Church never met Carol nor did we know her, but each of us presently at BLH is being blessed by God through her. Carols’ life had a humble beginning with a triumphant and glorious ending.

Carol Sudik was born in 1942 and grew up in the small farming community of Beatrice, Nebraska. In 1976 her career as a 1st and 2nd grade school teacher brought her to Minnesota where she lived in Richfield. Here she was introduced to Bloomington Lutheran Church by our member Karen Odegaard. Through our church’s ministry she came to know Jesus as her Savior. Carol became a member of BLC on August 10, 1982.

Those who knew her remember her huge, friendly smile and deep faith demonstrated in her faithfulness at church. She regularly attended worship and Bible study, gladly served on a Love In Action team, played in the handbell choir and undertook numerous projects. As a teacher, Carol was of course adept at bulletin boards. For years, she and Millie Dauman decorated one of the seasonal boards at church. These days at our Bloomington location, look for a tiny red heart somewhere on the bulletin board that Millie puts there in memory of her friend Carol. Pastor Spaulding recalls about Carol, “Having no family locally, we became her family. She was loved and respected by so many.” On February 4, 2009 God brought Carol to her eternal home in heaven.

This is not the end of the Carol Sudik story however. Exercising good Christian stewardship, Carol made arrangements to support the work of God’s kingdom even after her death. She left her estate to Bloomington Living Hope Lutheran Church. From this, a generous gift of $13,000.00 was designated for the handbell ministry. The remainder of her estate was then designated for our church’s Endowment Fund. From her possessions, annuities, life insurance and pension payments $672,531.00 flowed into the Endowment Fund.

In the seven years since Carol’s passing, Bloomington Living Hope Church has received $178,461.00 for the support of its ministries from the Endowment Fund. Most of this has come as a result of Carol’s estate. And it will continue. Money given to the Endowment Fund is designated as “restricted funds.” In other words, this money is not spent. Carol’s estate money remains intact. It is invested and the earnings are distributed to the church. Thus, you and I today at BLH, although we may not have personally known her, are being blessed through her.

Thank God for faithful Christians as Carol Ann Sudik.