Caroline V. Mosteller

Five foot two with eyes of blue, Caroline was a mom for the ages. She never missed an event and showered her family with love. She kept order in her house, but if her kids acted up they’d hear her familiar refrain: “Wait until your dad gets home!” The holidays were always special to Caroline. Thanksgiving found her packing as much of her family members as possible into their home. Dinner tables full of her life’s joy stretched from room to room. Christmas music was not restricted to the holiday season, and on a hot summer day if you walked into the house you would be greeted with Christmas in July. With a bevy of kids, she cooked enough to feed the 5th Fleet, but what most people begged her for was her potato salad and angel food cake. Caroline lived her faith. She taught CCD at St. Joseph’s for a brief 45 years, was an extraordinary minister and was passionate about her pro-life work. Earlier years found her working at the Burlington County Times and the Beverly Bank where it was common knowledge that she was faster with numbers in her head than anyone else with a calculator.

A young Caroline McCloskey attended a street dance in Beverly. She saved one Jitterbug for the dashing Herman Mosteller: that dance lead to nuptials, a 69 year marriage (never go to bed angry, if you’re wondering the secret) that was blessed by 8 children: Ellen Sullivan (Joe), the late Carol, Herman Jr. (Kathleen), the late Stephen (Debbie), the late Mary Devine (Joe), Polly Poujol (Keith), Amy Mullen (Dave) and Celeste Guest (Mike); 23 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. She is survived by her brother, George.

Come celebrate 88 great years of life Friday 6-8 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Sweeney Funeral Home, Beverly. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, St. Joseph’s Church, Beverly. Entombment Lakeview Cemetery, Cinnaminson.