Carolyn Jo Reimann

Carolyn Jo Reimann, 79, passed away at her home in Boise, Idaho on Wednesday June 24, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The daughter of Basil Onard Braden and Opal Roberts Braden, Carolyn was born July 11, 1940 in Reuter, Missouri. She was the first of 5 children including 3 sisters Marilyn, Jerrilyn and Tamra, and 1 brother Basil Jr. By her own account, Carolyn was a “small, stringy blonde headed child with petite hands good for washing jars,” but she was tough as nails and played an instrumental role in bringing up her siblings and caring for the family home. As a child, she aspired to be everything from an ice cream parlor scooper, to a stewardess and she loved reading, cooking, singing and country music. She wasn’t the best at sports, but she could run fast and put other jump ropers to shame.

Carolyn began her education in a one-room schoolhouse in Bryant where she excelled in her education. Carolyn graduated from Forsyth High School in 1958 and shortly thereafter moved to Kansas City, MO where she began working for Hallmark Cards. She spent summers at Rockaway Beach and aspired to obtain a degree in Journalism from Pittsburgh College. However, as fate would have it, on a double date in 1959, Carolyn met her future husband, changing the trajectory of her life.

On April 2, 1960, Carolyn married the love of her life, an airman by the name of Kenneth Reimann, at the Loma Vista Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. Carolyn and Ken had a long loving and prosperous marriage and were blessed with 3 beautiful daughters Lisa, Karyn and Stephanie. Carolyn was a devoted, loving mother and caretaker to her 3 girls and enjoyed watching them grow into exceptional women.

After moving to Boise, Idaho in 1968, Carolyn and Ken became entrepreneurs and started Automotive Service Equipment in 1973. Carolyn served as the Vice President for the business for some 48 years until her retirement in 2017. Her work ethic was impeccable and her attention to detail was unparalleled.

In 1981 Carolyn became a grandmother and by 1995 she had 4 grandchildren. She was a doting grandmother and spoiled her grandkids rotten. She was the kind of grandma that got down on the ground and truly played with her grandkids, she was present and purposeful in her actions and made all the holidays so memorable and special for the grandkids. In 2014 Carolyn became a great-grandmother and had 4 great-grandchildren at the time of her passing. Carolyn thoroughly enjoyed her great-grandchildren and their presence brought her so much joy and comfort in her final weeks.

Carolyn will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. Her quiet grace and simple elegance was as timeless as her love. She is now, and will forever be, terribly missed by her family and all those who had the privilege to know her.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 60 years Ken Reimann of Boise; sisters Marilyn Morgan of North Port, FL, and Jerrilyn Braden and her husband Jim of Versailles, MO; brother Basil Braden and his wife Pam of Sarcoxie, MO; daughters Lisa Martin and her husband Rick of Boise, Karyn Richcreek of Lake Mary, FL, and Stephanie Reimann of Seattle, WA; grandchildren Crystal Berry and her husband Chad of Boise, Dustin Richcreek and his wife Cassandra of Boise, Alyssa Martin of Boise and Rachel Martin of Boise; and great grandchildren Mya, Denlan, Bradock and Hunter; and countless loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral services will be held at Cloverdale Funeral Home at 10 am Friday July 10, 2020 with a graveside service immediately to follow. There will be no public visitation. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. In light of the global pandemic, in-person funeral services will be reserved for the first 50 attendees. The service will also be live streamed over the web so that everyone may honor Carolyn’s life.

 COVID: (STAGE 3) GUIDELINES FOR FUNERALS AS OF 7/2: 
For indoor gatherings, no more than 50 people allowed in the building at one time. 
Masks are required for indoor gatherings when social distancing is not feasible.