Carol Schenke

Carol Clow Schenke, 93, died peacefully on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at Valley View Village in Des Moines, IA. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Visitation will be held Thursday, September 3rd, at 1:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Life at 2:00 p.m. and reception following at Valley View Village Chapel, 2571 Guthrie Avenue, Des Moines, IA. Carol was a farm girl and her ashes will be scattered on the family farm where she grew up near Jamaica, Iowa, at a later date. Livestream link for the service will be provided, check back for updated information.

Carol grew up on farms in Greene County, IA. She went to country school where her first teacher was her sister Margaret. She played six-girl basketball, belonged to 4-H and graduated at 16 from Jamaica High School. Shortly after graduating she moved to Des Moines and worked at the Des Moines Register and Tribune in Classified Advertising. She was later involved in PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Eastern Star and church activities.

She was preceded in death by husband John Clow (married 49 years) and second husband Roger Schenke (married 7 years), her parents Claude and Marie Kenney, her beloved older siblings Margaret (Kenny) Rasmus, Lois (Dick) Francis, Floyd (Jean) Kenney, Howard (Marvel) Kenney and James (Ruth-living) Kenney, sister-in-law Mary (John) Peterson, nephew Roger Kenney and niece Suzanne Francis. 

Her memory will be forever cherished by her children Michael (Teri) Clow of Felton, DE, Elizabeth (Mark) Brauer of Clive, IA, Joseph (Susan) Clow of Girard, KS and Kent (Kellie) Clow of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren Dan (Savanna) Brauer of Pickerington, OH, David (Ashley) Brauer of Wayzata, MN, Anna Neuman of Pittsburg, KS, Jonathan Clow of Austin, TX, Kristin (Brett) Albers of Clover, SC, Laura (Nick Bakker) Brauer of Brisbane, Australia, Kaitlin (Adam Ferguson) Clow of Charlotte, NC, Sarah Clow of Olney, MD, Paul (Carellyn) Clow of Albuquerque, NM, and great grandchildren Harriet, Oswin, Dorothy and Ambrose Brauer of Pickerington, OH, Evy Brauer of Wayzata, MN, Evelyn, Charlotte and Juniper Neuman of Pittsburg, KS, Bernadette, Amelia and baby-to-be Albers of Clover, SC and sister-in-law Ruth Kenney-Randolph of Johnston, IA. Her nieces and nephews meant the world to her.

Thank you to Valley View Village and Hospice of the Midwest staff who took great care of Carol and to special friends for their caring, love and support.