Local resident blazed a path into neighbors' hearts

Erin Scott, Leader Staff

This Sunday, several members of the community turned-out to show their gratitude to fellow Polsonite at a local trail dedication.

Monday, October 20, 2008, Carol passed away.

Carol Sherick lived in Polson her whole life, showcasing her smile and virtuous nature to everyone … everyday. She was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in July. The unsettling news struck the core of this close-knit community.

A community organization, Pathways to Activity Recreation and Culture (PARC), wanted to do something special for this special citizen, so it decided to rename a section of the Montana Railing Walkpath - spanning the city of Polson - to the Carol Sampson Sherick Trail, in her honor. PARC brought the idea to the city park board, which in turn brought it to the city council, which approved the renaming. It only seems fitting that PARC - whose purpose is to connect other communities through trails - would rename a path after this inspiring, affable Polsonite walker.

You see, there are people we love in our lives - people we can turn to, trust, depend on - but no matter the person, we usually know they are just that: a person. Carol was more than that. She was more than a cordial "good morning" or an empty offer of support - she was the real deal. She was rare; she was precious. She was the kind of person who "you want to be," as friend Lynett Duford said.

"I'm a better person because I met her," Duford said. "My children are going to be better because I knew her."

Although Carol's illness was fatal, her unique lifesong - which characterized a loving, compassionate and selfless woman - will continue to be sung for generations by the many souls she touched. Whether you knew Carol or not, she was always there for you: offering her unyielding support to fellow Polsonites.

There wasn't a local funeral she didn't help at, a school fundraiser she didn't donate money to, a face she didn't smile at, a trail she didn't walk, or a friend she didn't encourage. There wasn't a place she loved more than Polson, and there may never be a person Polson loves more than her.

Those who didn't know Carol on a personal level knew only her amiable personality, which was often seen by way of her daily walks through the town during which she would smile and wave to everyone she saw. Carol's genuine sincerity was not reserved for a small group of close friends, but for all of mankind.

When local business owner Duford first opened her fitness studio, Carol was waiting at the door to help scrub the fridge or vacuum; she was there to lend a hand. When long-time friend Blanche Rohrenbach's children qualified for their sport team's state competitions, she would leave a note on their door which read "Go get 'em!" Before it was "cool" to thank our military service members, she would approach strangers in uniform and express her appreciation for their duty to country.

It seems Carol not only knew the definitions of community, friendship, family, and self, but that she enhanced their meanings and purpose. She showed others a zest for life and a passion for the things that really matter: people.

She never seemed to let the world weigh heavy on her soul. She had a knack for finding the sweet in all things bitter, the blatant humor in all things bland. Her recipe for happiness, produced an authentic meal, awakening taste buds even the most cultured chef neglected. Carol's animated outlook on life brought the assortedly flavored people of Polson together through her compassion.

Another longtime friend of Carols, and local greenhouse owner Kathy Shore, recalls a day when her landscaper couldn't make it. Carol showed up and mowed the grass without being asked.

"She gives and doesn't even know she's giving," Shore said. She described Carol as being an honest, loyal, giving person who was always there in the good and bad times. "She makes me want to be a better person because she sees the world through kind and loving eyes."

Daughter Tammy Brown said the trail's renaming couldn't go to someone more appropriate, recalling growing up next to the trail and walking to school on it with her mother. She said Carol knows more about Polson than anyone else, as evident in her childhood trips downtown where her mother kept the kids for hours talking to everyone.

Carol was only 63 years old when she passed away, but touched more people in her life than many of us would if we lived to be 163. Carol met her husband of 46 years at Polson High School, and has been his right-hand girl ever since: helping with several rental properties. She seemed to be everyone's right-hand girl in Polson.

A few things you may not have known about this grinning gal: she was a high school baton twirler and the Copper Cup Queen of the speed boat races, she was the youngest of four sisters, her mother was a second grade school teacher and widow when Carol was only 8, she went ski-diving a few years ago, she visited Italy in March with her sister-in-law to research her husband's heritage, she's organized her high school class of '62 reunion every year since graduation, she recently ran the Bloomsday in Spokane, and she ran the Polson Chamber of Commerce for a number of years.

And then there are the things you already knew about Carol: her license plate read "CAS" for Carol Ann Sherick, she was involved in several organizations and clubs, she met with morning coffee buddies - even though she doesn't drink coffee - everyday and always knew what was new, she led an athletic and healthy life, she was a Polson Pirate's advocate, she shoveled her neighbors' sidewalks in the winter, she walked with friend Lynn Tait for more than 14 years come rain or shine, she waved at you whether you knew her or not, she was a long-time member of The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, she rarely said anything negative, she was a hard worker, and she was expecting a granddaughter in a month.

When Carol was diagnosed with her illness her family wanted to do something special for her: take her to Disneyland, Hawaii or something. Carol wanted nothing to do with that. As the hundreds of cards sat in a box next to half a dozen floral arrangements in Carol's kitchen, Brown described Carol's love of Polson. The flowers and cards mirror a close community relationship that will live on for the years to come through the Carol Sampson Sherick Trail.