Colleen J. Carson, 89, of Ackley, formerly of Waterloo, died Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center

Colleen was born May 29, 1930 in Moose Lake, MN, daughter of Harry H. and Bertha L. Collins MacArthur. She graduated from Waterloo West High School in 1948.

She married Harry C. Carson Jr. on June 10, 1949 at First Brethren Church in Waterloo. Harry and Colleen celebrated their 70th anniversary in June.

Colleen was the owner and artist at Carson Art Gallery. She designed and painted the calendars for the Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad for five years. The 1993 calendar cover was selected by the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington D.C. to hang in their gallery to represent railroading in the Midwest. She was very proud of her artwork and gallery.

She was a past member of First Brethren Church in Waterloo and First Assembly of God Church in Cedar Falls. She was a member of Silos and Smokestacks which sent bus tours to her art gallery in Ackley. She was also a member of the Iowa Watercolor Society. She belonged to Thursday Painters at the Hearst Center in Cedar Falls and she founded the “Paint till you Faint” Camp at Pine Lake. She was a floral designer for many years at Sherwood Florists in Waterloo.

Colleen is survived by her husband, Harry Carson Jr. of Ackley; a daughter, Saundra “Sandy” (Harley) Wildes of Cedar Falls; three sons, Richard “Rick” (Clarita) Carson of Ackley, Tim (Betty) Carson of Ackley, and Todd (Tracey) Carson of Jefferson, WI; 12 grandchildren, Keith, Christy, Jennifer, Michael, Bethany, Charity, Daniel, Sarah Faith, Emily, Josh Woltz, Josh Carson, and Jason; 9 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Hal (Betty) MacArthur of Portland, OR.

She was preceded in death by her parents; stepmother, Hannah MacArthur who raised her; and a sister, Virginia Loesch.