Carol was born Aug. 15, 1926, in Spa, Belgium, the second of four children of Val Allen Browning and Ann Chaffin Browning. Her parents were from Ogden, Utah, but had moved to Belgium to represent the interests of the family gun business, founded by Val's father, John Moses. In the 1930s, with looming trouble in Europe, the Brownings moved back from Belgium to Ogden. There, Carol attended Rowland Hall School. Following her high school years, Carol pursued her passion for literature, earning a degree in English from Smith College.
Carol married Ed Dumke on Sept. 12, 1950. She had met him at a picnic hosted by their two families. They had four children: Valerie Ann Dumke; Sun Valley residents Michelle Dumke Praggastis and Edmund Ezekiel Dumke; and Florida resident Andrew Browning Dumke.
Her young family moved frequently, following Ed's business adventures and opportunities. Carol lived in Utah, Connecticut, California and Nevada. In the 1960s, Carol and Ed bought a vacation condominium in Sun Valley, where they spent increasing amounts of time, eventually building a house in 1974. Though she did not become a resident until 2018, Sun Valley became home.
Carol was a passionate lover of animals, books, design, fashion and, above all, her family. She built a horse barn in Elkhorn, now the Dumke Sagewillow campus, and spent many happy days riding her beloved horses in the arena or surrounding mountains. She always had a treasured dog and taught her children to love and care for animals.
Christmas was a particularly magical time in Carol's home, where she hosted grand celebrations filled with joy, imaginative decorations and thoughtful gifts. Her love for the holiday season was reflected in the festive atmosphere with which she surrounded her family and friends.
Always elegantly dressed, she was a petite but strong woman who regarded the world with a level gaze through piercing blue eyes. She had a deft sense of humor that could gently deflate any pretension, including her own, and a warm, infectious laugh.
Carol's eldest daughter, Valerie Ann, predeceased her in 2007. Ed passed away in February 2019. Carol is survived by three children, Ed, Michelle and Andrew; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Ed and Carol were generous supporters of causes in the Wood River Valley and the Intermountain West, including Blaine County Senior Connection, Hospice of the Wood River Valley, and the Mountain Humane Animal Center (mountainhumane.org/donate), among others. In lieu of flowers, Carol's family requests your gifts be directed to one of these charities.