Monthly Featured SAS Member: Carol Forbes
We in the St. Andrew’s Society are extremely fortunate to have many talented members in our society: historians, authors, genealogists, musicians, dancers, weapons experts, and craftsmen. One of those craftsmen is our un-official society knitter who has made many a sweaters and socks for our members, Carol Forbes. We have all enjoyed bidding on her many craft projects donated to our society raffles. So, who is Carol?
Carol is a born and bred Cheesehead, growing up in South Milwaukee, but residing in Racine since 1962. She graduated from Bay View High School and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a teaching degree. She has spent 36 years as a Special Education teacher as well as 15 years working as a sub and a homebound teacher. Though she reports that one of her fun jobs with her summers off was selling Toffeefay candy bars, a job that made more money that teaching summer school.
As a master knitter she opened here own business, The Unique, selling knitting machines and yarn, giving lessons, and going to shows on the weekends. She closed the business after 10 years but continued to sell knits at weekend craft shows and dog shows for another 20 years. She has been a regular craft vendor at the Waukesha Highland Game for years helping out in the Cultural Area and is planning on having her knitted goods ready for the Wisconsin Scottish Games Labor Day weekend 2021.
When not knitting and volunteering with the society and Wisconsin Scottish of which she is a member, she was on the board of Tex Reynold’s Toys for Tots organization (not affiliated with the US Marines) in the Racine area.
So what is Carol’s Scottish connection? Although she is of German and Danish descent, Carol married into the Forbes Clan and says that her two visits to Scotland included a stay at Castle Forbes where she and her family had wonderful gourmet food and a comfortable bed. Some of her husband's ancestors are buried in Alford and Huntley. She has also visited Ireland.
She joined the Saint Andrew’s society to learn more about Scotland and her husband’s Forbes family and to make new friends. Carol and her son Bill are mainstays at most society events and many a member is sporting a custom pair of her knitted kilts socks. To order your own or other knitted custom wear, you can contact Carol via email.
We are very honored to have Carol in our society!
