Wanda's Daughter Carol Rae Sem 1956-2004
Carol was an active volunteer for the Red Cross. She is shown here in New York after the September 11, 2001 attack.
Carol Rae Sem was Wanda's youngest child and only daughter. She was born July 15, 1956 in Plentywood. She became a registered nurse and was named Montana's nurse of the year before a fateful move to Salt Lake City. After several successful years as a trauma nurse, her addiction to prescription drugs was exposed. Carol was stripped of her nursing license.
Carol returned to Montana, where she credited her brother Gary for helping her put her life back together. She was able to lead by example as an addiction counselor for the next two decades. The Montana Board of Nursing came to depend upon her expertise as a consultant and evaluator, and Carol was a key member of their Nursing Assistance Program. She was a nationally recognized expert on chemical dependency in the medical field.
Carol was 47 when her heart stopped as she sat watching tv in her home on June 18, 2004. She was recovering from what had been a routine and seemingly successful shoulder surgery. She is buried in Plentywood with her parents and brother, Gary.
A WONDERFUL TRIBUTE TO A SPECIAL HEGLAND COUSIN
Carol Sem Apartments in Missoula, Montana are owned and operated by the Western Montana Mental Health Center. The Sem Apartments provide access to permanently affordable housing for graduates of the SHARE House addiction treatment program. Without access to affordable housing, participants would either stay longer than necessary at SHARE, thus denying someone in need a bed, or would too often be discharged to less than ideal environments that jeopardize the rehabilitation just completed. By providing a structured connection to SHARE and continued support from across the street, the recovery process is greatly enhanced.
