With heavy hearts and wonderful memories, we celebrate the life of Louise “Carroll” Nilsen, who left this world on June 20, 2026, at the age of 88.
Carroll was born on December 2, 1937, in Kendrick, Idaho.
Carroll grew up in a close-knit family consisting of her parents, grandparents, and numerous aunts and uncles, all of whom helped instill in her strong family values at a very young age. Those same values guided her as she raised her own family. Family meant everything to Carroll.
One of the things that will always be remembered about Carroll is that she treated everyone like family. It didn’t matter whether you shared her last name or not. If you needed a friend, a meal, a laugh, or a place to belong, she welcomed you with open arms.
Carroll shared her life and home with her beloved husband, Bob. She married Robert Marsh Nilsen on December 15, 1955, in Bellingham, Washington.
Carroll met Bob at a young age while growing up on Lummi Island, Washington, where both of their families lived. When Bob returned from Korea, he never forgot Carroll. He found out where she was working waiting tables and came to sweep her off her feet. From that day forward, they remained together for more than 60 years, raising five children, a lot of hell, and a lifetime of memories.
Carroll always had a talent for creating a warm and loving home for her family, whether it was their first home, a small house Bob built himself on Lummi Island, one of their many fishing boats, or their final home at 1104 Wrangell Avenue in Petersburg, Alaska.
In 1972, Bob and Carroll moved to Petersburg. Carroll immersed herself in the community, working in local businesses, joining the Emblem Club, playing pinochle at the Sons of Norway, and opening and operating what many considered the best seafood restaurant Petersburg had ever seen.
Carroll was also a fisherman’s wife in every sense of the word. Over the years she served as a deckhand, cook, and the major stockholder in the family’s fishing operation.
After Bob retired, they purchased 120 acres that was the Stikine River Lodge. The river opened the door to many adventures, misadventures, and lasting friendships. After years on the Stikine, just outside of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, they sold the river property and bought a 46-foot yacht named the Shenandoah. Together, Bob and Carroll spent many years exploring the waterways of Southeast Alaska.
Carroll lost her beloved husband and best friend, Bob, in June 2020. Surrounded by a loving family and many dear friends, she found comfort and strength through the difficult years that followed. During that time, she enjoyed traveling to visit family and took several trips to the Hawaiian Islands with her daughter Marsha. Though she enjoyed traveling, nothing brought her more happiness than being home with family.
Carroll was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Marsh Nilsen; her father, Sidney Carroll Lahatt; her mother, Anna Viola Yost Lahatt; her brother, Leonard Lahatt; her sister, Leanne Lahatt; her brother, Doyle Lahatt; and her grandson, Jordan Birchell.
Carroll is survived by her children: Michael Nilsen, Ole Nilsen (Rondi), Anita Hammond (Steve), Marsha Birchell (Ed), and Yancey Nilsen (Lisa); as well as 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Hall, Petersburg, Alaska.
In lieu of flowers, please do something kind for someone else in Carroll’s memory.
Reader Comments(0)