Meet Carol Albright
Eileen Ballance - Class of 2015 • January 15, 2026
Carol was born and raised on her family-owned dairy farm in the East-Central region of Wisconsin. Her family migrated here in 1848 from The Netherlands and after a long journey, they settled in the Fox River Valley, WI. She attended St. Francis Catholic Grade school where her grandparents were the caretakers of the grounds and buildings. As a young girl she would help them with cleaning the classrooms on Friday after school was out. Carol went on to attend Kaukauna High School followed by Fox Valley Technical College where she earned a nursing degree. After raising her children and the passing of her husband, Carol went back to college to receive an additional nursing degree and worked in the field until her retirement in 2020.
After downsizing from her family home on 5 acres in the Fredericksburg area, Carol relocated to Norfolk to live near, love and support her two youngest sons who are currently working on advanced degrees in the Norfolk area.
Carol worked for ten years in various fields of nursing and twenty-two years in K-12 education. Her late husband served twenty years in the military which caused them to move frequently. During the early years she worked as a nurse in hospitals, skilled-care nursing settings, home health, primary care and geriatrics. On one assignment she worked supporting the weight management program for active duty Airmen. After her children were born, she transitioned into education and home-educated her children for twenty-two years. She is retired now and enjoying her hobbies and traveling to see her family.
Carol has always enjoyed digging in the dirt and planting, and as a member of a farming family, also was exposed to hard outdoor work. She was looking for a way to invest in her new community and was drawn to the friendly gardening environment. She also had a desire to learn more about gardening and improve her understanding of horticulture.
Carol found the classes informative and very well-organized. She particularly liked the “commercials” where she learned about the various projects and saw the friendships and enthusiasm of the current NMG.
In order to attain her required fifty hours, she participated in the Significant Tree Program, the Giving Garden as well as the Spring and Fall plant sales. She also reviewed the membership meeting videos. She plans to continue working with the Giving Garden and the plant sales. She also plans to visit projects that she hasn’t tried out yet, especially the projects involving vegetable gardening.
She likes to spend her spare time bicycling, kayaking and exploring the outdoors. She enjoys cooking, reading and most of all traveling to visit her kids and grandkids.
Carol is the mother of six adult kids. She has six, soon to be seven, grandchildren ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old. She is also the dog mom to a sweet Teddy Bear dog named Walter who keeps her on her toes for sure.
When you see Carol, please be sure to introduce yourself and welcome her to the Norfolk Extension Master Gardeners.
