Todd Young, IN
“I want to honor Carol Mitchell Popp Bennett, who recently died at age 96. She was a puppet maker, children's TV host, teacher, and artist who spent her life serving Indiana.”
“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.”
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.