[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 121 (Thursday, July 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING CAROL MITCHELL POPP BENNETT

  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of a truly 
one-of-a-kind Hoosier Carol Mitchell Popp Bennett, who passed away on 
June 27, 2026, at the age of 96.
  Born in Indianapolis in 1930 and raised in the wake of the Great 
Depression on a small family farm, Carol quickly found a creative 
outlet in making marionettes and puppets. Her passion, creativity, and 
skills created ample opportunities: By high school, she led a statewide 
tour of puppet shows, and she produced a children's television show on 
a local Bloomington affiliate during her studies at Indiana University. 
Before she knew it, Carol and her marionettes were featured in a 
national magazine, crowned Miss Indiana, and interviewed on the Ed 
Sullivan show during her trip to New York to win first runner-up in the 
Miss America Pageant.
  After graduating from Indiana University, Carol met H. Leslie Popp, 
Jr., in Fort Wayne. The couple soon married and Carol followed her 
husband on his deployment to serve in the Korean war. She continued her 
artistic endeavors during this period, working with the U.S.O. to 
arrange entertainment for the families of American servicemembers in 
Japan. Upon the couple's return to Fort Wayne, Carol started Indiana's 
first live children's educational television program, the ``Carol and 
Corkie Show,'' for which she was honored by the Indiana Historical 
Society as an Indiana Community Builder in 2020.
  Carol's contributions to the Fort Wayne community extended far beyond 
the ``Carol and Corkie Show.'' She was a substitute teacher in the 
region for 13 years and a volunteer with the Trinity English Lutheran 
Church's women's group for more than a decade. She served on the boards 
of the Fine Arts Foundation, Fort Wayne Ballet Angels, and IU Friends 
of Music, and was an active leader in the Junior League of Fort Wayne 
and Fort Wayne's Girl Scout and Cub Scout communities, all while 
continuing to use her creative talents as a professional interior 
designer for more than 20 years.
  In her retirement, Carol continued to pursue her passions for art and 
education by illustrating shows for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic's 
Children's Concert Series and working with her sister to illustrate 
children's instructional books. She married Carl Bennett in 1989, and 
the couple enjoyed their retirement traveling and wintering in Bermuda 
Dunes, CA, where Carol continued to serve others by leading an art 
group and participating in the Coachella Valley Art Guild of Palm 
Springs.
  Carol's legacy lives on in her extensive family, including her sister 
Elaine, daughter Catherine, and more than a hundred stepchildren, 
nieces, and nephews spanning four generations. It is my honor to 
recognize Carol for a lifetime well-spent using her talents and 
abilities in service of others in the Fort Wayne area, across the 
Hoosier State, and even around the globe. In these and many other ways, 
her memory and legacy will live on for years to come.

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