Obituary for Carol A. Myers
Carol A. Myers, 72, of Atlantic, Iowa, and formerly of Anchorage, Alaska, New York City and Avoca, Iowa, died Friday, August 30, 2019, at Heritage House in Atlantic.
Carol was born at the Atlantic Hospital on June 3, 1947 to Victor L. and Viola (Schmitt) Myers of Avoca. She grew-up on the family farm in the Avoca area and graduated from AvoHa High School in 1965.
After graduating, from the University of Iowa in 1969, with a business degree in accounting, Carol went to New York City where she became a CPA working for a large public-accounting firm as an auditor for many years – one of the first women in the profession. After working on a consulting project with her firm during the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, she moved to construction management and relocated to Alaska to work for a large oil company at its Prudhoe Bay facility. As that series of projects wound down, she took an early retirement.
A friend in New York then asked her to come back to help her start a retail chain selling women’s business clothing. When it didn’t get financing, she found a job with a large pharmaceutical company where she managed their financial reporting for its worldwide operations.
When an opportunity to return to Alaska came, she took it and worked on a special project for the governor to improve efficiency in State government. Later, she became a Controller for an Alaskan Native Corporation, which had diversified businesses, including Federal government contracting.
Ever adventurous, she became a principle in a company that planned to build a large air-cargo facility at the Anchorage International Airport. After jumping many of the start-up hurdles to enable financing for construction, the economy crashed in late 2007, and the capital market was dry during the Great Recession. Finally, she began consulting, including helping a company with a contract to provide support services for a mining consortium planning to develop a vast copper and gold mine in Alaska. She also served as treasurer of a gubernatorial campaign in Alaska.
With the economy still in a slump, her sister, Vicki Myers Adams of Atlantic, convinced her to retire and moved back to Iowa. To keep busy, she worked part-time helping the YMCA in Atlantic with its accounting.
As Carol once observed, “It was an interesting life for an Iowa Farm Girl!”
Carol is survived by her sister, Vicki Myers Adams (Mrs. Verl Adams, Jr.) of Atlantic; nieces, Kathryn Adams and fiancé, Chad Choquette and their sons, Jeremiah and Zachary of Sloan, Iowa and Kristine Adams and her husband, Rob Akins and their children, Riley, Cade, Christopher, Chloe, Jessica, and Natalya of Aurora, Colorado; many Myers and Ronnfeldt cousins in Avoca, Hancock, and Shelby areas and Nebraska; and many Schmitt cousins in the Atlantic and Marne areas, Harrison County, IA, North Dakota, Montana, and California.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law, Verl Adams Jr., originally from Anita.
A visitation, with the family present, will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Saturday, September 7, 2019, at Roland Funeral Home. A private burial will be held, prior to the visitation, in the Atlantic Cemetery.
Roland Funeral Service is caring for Carol’s family and her arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.
Memorials may be made in memory of Carol to:
Nancy Quellohorst
Director of Development
Tippie College of Business
Universtiy of Iowa Center for Advancement
One West Park Road
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Carol was born at the Atlantic Hospital on June 3, 1947 to Victor L. and Viola (Schmitt) Myers of Avoca. She grew-up on the family farm in the Avoca area and graduated from AvoHa High School in 1965.
After graduating, from the University of Iowa in 1969, with a business degree in accounting, Carol went to New York City where she became a CPA working for a large public-accounting firm as an auditor for many years – one of the first women in the profession. After working on a consulting project with her firm during the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, she moved to construction management and relocated to Alaska to work for a large oil company at its Prudhoe Bay facility. As that series of projects wound down, she took an early retirement.
A friend in New York then asked her to come back to help her start a retail chain selling women’s business clothing. When it didn’t get financing, she found a job with a large pharmaceutical company where she managed their financial reporting for its worldwide operations.
When an opportunity to return to Alaska came, she took it and worked on a special project for the governor to improve efficiency in State government. Later, she became a Controller for an Alaskan Native Corporation, which had diversified businesses, including Federal government contracting.
Ever adventurous, she became a principle in a company that planned to build a large air-cargo facility at the Anchorage International Airport. After jumping many of the start-up hurdles to enable financing for construction, the economy crashed in late 2007, and the capital market was dry during the Great Recession. Finally, she began consulting, including helping a company with a contract to provide support services for a mining consortium planning to develop a vast copper and gold mine in Alaska. She also served as treasurer of a gubernatorial campaign in Alaska.
With the economy still in a slump, her sister, Vicki Myers Adams of Atlantic, convinced her to retire and moved back to Iowa. To keep busy, she worked part-time helping the YMCA in Atlantic with its accounting.
As Carol once observed, “It was an interesting life for an Iowa Farm Girl!”
Carol is survived by her sister, Vicki Myers Adams (Mrs. Verl Adams, Jr.) of Atlantic; nieces, Kathryn Adams and fiancé, Chad Choquette and their sons, Jeremiah and Zachary of Sloan, Iowa and Kristine Adams and her husband, Rob Akins and their children, Riley, Cade, Christopher, Chloe, Jessica, and Natalya of Aurora, Colorado; many Myers and Ronnfeldt cousins in Avoca, Hancock, and Shelby areas and Nebraska; and many Schmitt cousins in the Atlantic and Marne areas, Harrison County, IA, North Dakota, Montana, and California.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law, Verl Adams Jr., originally from Anita.
A visitation, with the family present, will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Saturday, September 7, 2019, at Roland Funeral Home. A private burial will be held, prior to the visitation, in the Atlantic Cemetery.
Roland Funeral Service is caring for Carol’s family and her arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.
Memorials may be made in memory of Carol to:
Nancy Quellohorst
Director of Development
Tippie College of Business
Universtiy of Iowa Center for Advancement
One West Park Road
Iowa City, Iowa 52242