Carol A. Wenzel Obituary
Carol Ann Wenzel (Bartsch) came into this world on April 6th, 1944 filled with love by her parents, Edna and Frederick Bartsch. Carol was born in Buffalo, NY where she lived her whole life. Carol was the youngest sister to Edna "Linda", Eileen, Fred, Ronald, and Richard who looked after her as one of their own.
Growing up, Carol attended School #6 South Division St, School #4 Elk Street School, and School #31 for middle school. Carol was a part of the basketball team in school and enjoyed taking math classes. She completed 8th grade before withdrawing from school to take care of her mother. She loved to tell stories about how her mother was a fantastic cook. When only 18 years young, Carol lost her mother, Edna, and in many ways this made her the strong, determined woman she was her entire life.
One thing about Carol is that throughout her life, she knew what she wanted. When she was younger, she would steal homemade pickles from her neighbors, and once took a dog she found on a walk. One time Carol decided to get the house painted from red, to her favorite color blue. All while this was happening, her husband was at work and unaware. He was certainly surprised when he came home from work that day to an unrecognizable house and his wife laughing hysterically on the porch. She was a huge animal lover and always had pets growing up, including a parrot, a pug, many cats and more. However, nothing topped her love for cats, treating each cat as if it were her own biological child, especially her most recent cats, Bear and Angel.
Growing up in Buffalo led Carol to find many activities to do around the neighborhood. Oftentimes Carol loved going to the soda shop and corner stores with her friends to buy whatever they needed and hangout. Throughout this community is where she met her husband, Helmut. Through a mutual friend, she was told that she caught Helmut's eye and he wanted to be introduced to her. They were inseparable from the day they met as teenagers, up until Helmut passed away in 2006.
At just 20 years old, Carol got married to Helmut, the love of her life, on July 18th, 1964. They were then married for 42 years before Helmut's passing. Carol was the most loyal person ever, often speaking of Helmut and her marriage many years after his passing. She loved to tell stories about how they wore matching outfits. Throughout this marriage, Carol and Helmut had two children together. At 23, Carol had her son, Nikolaus (Nicky) Wenzel. Two years later at age 25, her daughter Laura Piotrowski (Wenzel) was born. She also loved her mother in law who was an avid baker and made the best desserts.
Shortly after marriage and while her kids grew up, Carol lived on 93 Fennimore Ave. Living here is where she continued to go to the corner stores, meet new people, and create life-long friends and memories. It did not matter where Carol lived, because no matter where she was she had a presence that was inviting and friendly. She had no problem creating new relationships and finding something to talk about while sharing a cigarette. Since Carol did not drive, she enjoyed walking to 7/11 to get her scratch offs and cigarettes. Money was always put aside to ensure that scratch offs were in the budget, and she was always full of luck.
Family was everything to Carol. While her husband worked two jobs, she took care of her children and made it look easy. She would take Nicky and Laura on the bus to make sure they never missed a doctor's appointment or grocery trip run. She never once complained or showed just how much work it was to raise two children. A homemade meal was always ready at the end of each day for her family to enjoy.
In 2000, Carol was so excited to become a grandmother to her first grandchild, then again in 2002 and 2005. In 2004, Carol and Helmut decided to move to 103 Lyndale Ct in West Seneca, NY to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. This is where she spent lots of time with her grandkids, always having them over on halloween to trick or treat, and on Easter to participate in a neighborhood wide egg hunt. Carol also liked attending the West Seneca legion post to play shuffleboard and card games with friends.
Wenzel, Carol A. (nee Bartsch) June 17, 2026 of West Seneca, NY. Beloved wife of the late Helmut Wenzel; devoted mother of Nicholas (Ann) Wenzel and Laura (Michael) Piotrowski; cherished grandmother of Jessica, Christina, Joseph, and Katie; loving sister of the late Linda Jaeger, late Eileen Klien, late Fred Bartsch, late Ronald Bartsch, and late Richard Bartsch; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Friends received on Sunday June 21st from 2 – 6 PM at the LAKESIDE MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, INC. 1340 Union Rd. West Seneca, NY 716-674-5776. Where Funeral Services will be held Monday June 22nd at 10 AM. Burial at St. Matthew's Cemetery to follow.
Planted in memory of Carol A. Wenzel Live Webcast Join online for a live webcast of Carol A. Wenzel's service. Watch now Tribute Video in loving memory of Carol A. Wenzel "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.". Thanks for your kindness and warmth. We will miss you CarolThe Johnsons 2 days agoA memorial tree was planted in memory of.
