Carol Lee (Chapman) Mable

Carol Chapman Mable, daughter of Ivan and Mable Chapman, was born at home on December 3, 1941, in Des Moines, Iowa, and passed peacefully on March 28, 2026, at Brio of Johnston. She was the eldest of four children.

Carol grew up in the “bottoms” on the east side of Des Moines and often shared fond memories of time spent with family and of the Roadside Settlement House. She attended historic Thomas Benton Elementary School, amongst others, and graduated from East High School in 1960.

Following graduation, Carol began her career in administrative and secretarial work at Equitable of Iowa. She later worked for an independent insurance agent Emily Thompson, the Iowa Department of Social Services, and retired from Principal Financial Group in 1994.

In 1970, she married Robert “Bob” T. Mable Sr. in Des Moines, and in 1973 they welcomed their daughter, Leigh. She cherished time with family and friends, especially her daughter Leigh, husband Scott and their children Carly and Nolan.

In her free time, Carol enjoyed reading, gardening, cross-stitching, sewing, and knitting. She and Bob shared a love of camping and boating, spending weekends and extended vacations on the water. Their adventures began on the Des Moines River in a small runabout and grew to include cabin cruisers, exploring Iowa lakes, the Mississippi River, Table Rock Lake, and Canadian waterways such as the Rideau Canal, Trent Canal, and St. Lawrence River.

After retiring, Carol devoted more than 20 years to volunteering with Iowa Lutheran Hospital, Lifeline, and the Des Moines Power Squadron. In 2011, she received the Iowa Hospital Association Shining Star Award for her 16 years of service at Iowa Lutheran, and in 2017, she was honored with the Governor’s Volunteer Award for her outstanding commitment and service.

Carol is survived by her daughter, Leigh (Scott) Wiegel; her brother, Charles L. Chapman of Des Moines; her brother-in-law, Thomas Garrett of Des Moines; her stepchildren, Jackie (Russ) Leckband of Earlham, Jill (Tom) Clark of Waukee, Katie Mable of Leola, PA, Betsy (Eric) Peterson of Perry, and Dave (Dee) Mable of Urbandale; her grandchildren, Carly Wiegel and Nolan Wiegel; Jesse (Sarah) Maxwell; Levi (Emily) Clark and Raymond (Elizabeth) Clark; Seth (McKenzie) Peterson, Sven (Maddie) Peterson, Lauren (Ben) Bewley, Kourtney (Brandon) Hurst, and Jon (Jill) Mable; and Ryan (Morgan) Mable, Anna Mable, and Noah Mable; as well as twenty-one great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” T. Mable Sr.; her parents, Ivan and Mable Chapman; her sisters, Sharon Johannesen and Linda Garrett; her brother-in-law, Richard “Jo” Johannesen and sister-in-law Cheryl Chapman; and her stepson, Robert “Skip” T. Mable Jr.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff and residents of Brio of Johnston for creating a warm and welcoming home for Carol. They are especially grateful to the staff for their kind and compassionate care over the past few months.

Services will be held on Monday, April 6, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street in Des Moines. Public visitation will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

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