Carol Baumann Jeske

September 7, 1955 – June 17, 2026

An angel left this earth on June 17, 2026.

Carol was a remarkably accomplished, spirited, charismatic woman with a touch of sass, loved by all who knew her.

Artist, model, actress, art director, producer, business owner, clinical assistant professor, dog rescuer, author, baker and cook, volunteer, investor, traveler but most of all my loving, caring wife, friend and partner.

She was creative, initially applying her creativity through artwork and the challenge of developing a character as an actress.  She never lost the acting bug and performed up until last year.  She also had entrepreneurial talents and a generous personality that drew people to her.  She used this to create businesses.  For Carol, the feeling of accomplishment was in the creative building process.  Once the business transitioned into a steady state, she handed it off.  She needed the next adventure.  Some of her accomplishments included:

Her own art showing

Improv Actress - Comedysportz Milwaukee

Founder of The Brumder Mansion Bed and Breakfast – Milwaukee, WI

Founding partner of The Cornerstone Theater Company – Milwaukee, WI

Art Director of the 1999 docudrama “Wisconsin Death Trip”

Producer “The Vagina Monologues” - Milwaukee

Founder of The Mosheim Mansion Bead and Breakfast – Seguin, TX

Founder of the Asylum Theater Ensemble – Seguin, TX

Founder of the Asylum Dog Rescue – Texas and Florida

Board Member of Guadelupe County Texas Animal Control

Owner and operator of “Carol’s Handcrafted Cookies” – Texas and Florida

Her springerle cookies on the cover of Martha Stewart’s “Living” magazine

Six decades of performing

In the meantime, over the last two decades, Carol was my wife and a traditional housewife which included looking after mostly unadoptable dogs.  Seems almost diametrically opposed to all the above, but it wasn’t.  She was a traditional housewife finding joy in the work of maintaining a marriage and household.  Carol and I respected each other’s careers, wants and desires, gave each other the space we sometimes needed and always came together for each other.  She was my rock and I gave her safety to be herself.

Carol’s survived by her husband Robert Jeske, her stepchildren Lisa James, Matthew Jeske, Kristi Jeske and Adam Jeske and their families, brothers Robert (Nargiza) Baumann, John (Katie) Baumann, and Charles (Wendy) Baumann, her cousin Peter (Maggie) Baumann, Sister-in-law Jan Figler and her family, several nieces and nephews and her ex-husband Robert Hirschi.  Carol’s also remembered by scores of friends across the country and Europe.  She was preceded in passing by her parents Robert and Marion Baumann and her sister Joanne (Gene) Moore and Uncle Richard (Ilene) Baumann.