Carol Ann Cashman, affectionately known as Party Nana, earned her eternal reward on May 28, 2026, surrounded by her five daughters.

The family will hold a visitation on Thursday, June 4, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 3117 E Century Ave, from 6:00-8:00 PM, with a Rosary/Vigil at 7:00 PM.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, 520 Raymond Street, at 2:00 PM.

Following the Mass, the family invites well-wishers to attend a celebration of life where the family will share her eulogy, reflections, and music at the Bavendick Stateroom at the National Energy Center for Excellence at Bismarck State College from 4:00-7:00 PM.

Carol Ann McDougal Cashman was born on August 9, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York, to Dolores ‘Lala’ (Gleason) and Walter ‘Bub’ McDougal. In 1955, her family moved to Garden City, New York, on Long Island, where Carol grew up in a lively household filled with love, laughter, and the joyful chaos of six siblings: Stephen, Walter Jr., Dolores ‘Ditta’, Paul, Nancy, and Mary Ann ‘Peanut’. The tight bond they shared only deepened after the heartbreaking loss of their mother to cancer in 1972 at the age of 49.

Carol attended St. Anne’s Grammar School in Garden City, New York and graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset, New York, before attending the University of Dayton. During her time there, she was a proud member of the Omega Sorority, served as a Homecoming Attendant, and was president of the Pan-Hellenic Society. She formed lifelong friendships at Dayton and remained a devoted Flyer throughout her life.

Carol was a two-time Dayton graduate; she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Education in 1970, followed by a Master’s degree in Guidance & Counseling and Student Personnel Administration in 1971. Following graduation, Carol worked for the University of Dayton as an admissions counselor and later as Director of Admissions for the New York recruitment office.

Carol met her husband, Daniel Cashman, in New York on a blind date arranged by his sister Joan and Carol’s mother in September of 1971. They were married on June 9, 1973, in Garden City, New York, and together shared nearly 53 wonderful years of marriage filled with love, laughter, adventure, and devoted partnership. They first moved to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, before eventually settling in Bismarck, where they established Cashman Nursery. Dan is a proud third-generation nurseryman and while they built their branch of the family nursery business, they also grew a nursery of their own at home with their six children: Thomas Casey, Nancy Jane, Katherine Ann Gleason, Melissa Stephanie, Genevieve Kelly, and Amanda Megan. Carol helped with the family business by bringing beauty and magic to the Christmas season through her decorating. Dan and Carol often featured the family in television commercials promoting the nursery, which now are cherished home videos. Carol devoted herself to raising her family and remained a stay-at-home mother until 1985, when she began teaching speech and communication courses as an adjunct instructor at Bismarck State College. She joined the faculty full-time in 1992 and received tenure in 2000. Carol deeply loved her years at BSC where her students and colleagues brought her joy and purpose every day. She took immense pride in the college’s growth and in the many wonderful people, past and present, who helped shape it into what it is today.

Carol embraced retirement in 2018 with the same energy and love she brought to every chapter of her life. Her children were convinced that she was busier in retirement than she was when she was working! Nothing brought her greater joy than her nine grandchildren, with whom she cherished every moment and who dubbed her ‘Party Nana’. Party Nana always had a party brewing at her house, complete with cupcakes (with lots of sprinkles) and Arnold Palmers. She treasured her bridge and UNbridge clubs and the dear friends who remained by her side for more than forty years. Carol loved gardening, reading, decorating for the holidays, cooking for gatherings of 23 immediate family members, and spending time surrounded by those she loved most. She enjoyed traveling near and far. She treasured trips to Ireland, England, Italy, Greece, and Spain; a special trip to France with her sisters and cousin Dee; adventures to Hawaii and Banff; winters in Fort Lauderdale; cross-country road trips with her family in the 1980s and 1990s to New York (and every state capitol building along the way); and annual pilgrimages to Brookside Resort in Park Rapids, Minnesota. These travels created lifelong memories that she and her family relished.

Carol had an extraordinary gift for making people feel welcomed, remembered, and loved. Whether she was opening her home to a relative in need of support, affectionately referred to as ‘Camp Carol’, helping a friend with flower arrangements for an event, laughing over cards with friends, or spending time one-on-one with her children, grandchildren, or husband, she had a remarkable way of making people feel seen, valued, and deeply loved.

Carol was profoundly grateful for and humbled by the overwhelming outpouring of love, prayers, meals, and support she received following her cancer diagnosis. Her husband, children, siblings, extended family, and friends were a constant source of strength and comfort. She considered them all an incredible blessing. Further, Carol and her family wish to express their profound gratitude to all of her medical providers at Sanford Health, Essentia Health, Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL, University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center, and her hospice team at CaringEdge. Finally, Carol extends her sincere gratitude to the priests who visited and offered her the sacraments over these last few months. She was so thankful and humbled by their prayers.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother and sister-in-law, Walter and Cindy McDougal; her in-laws, Thomas Eugene and Dorothy Cashman; her sister-in-law Anne DiMott; her brothers-in law, Tom Cashman, Tim Cashman, Ron Hildreth, and Charlie Pieper; and her nieces and nephew, Mary Stephanie Shupe, Juliette Cashman, and Tim McCarthy.

Left to cherish her memory and celebrate her legacy are her husband, Dan; her son and daughter-in-law, Casey and Dina Cashman of (The Woodlands, TX); her five daughters and sons-in-law: Dr. Nancy Jane Cashman and Rob Barnes (Minneapolis, MN), Katie and Owen Fitzsimmons (Bismarck), Missy Cashman and Rich Hohne (Bozeman, MT), Genevieve and Mark Giese (Bismarck), and Dr. Amanda Cashman and Dr. Elliot Yang (Roseville, MN); her nine grandchildren: Maria, Annika, and Katerina Cashman, Maggie, Connor, and Tommy Fitzsimmons, and John, Paul, and Lucy Giese; her brothers: Stephen and Faith McDougal (Levittown, NY), and Paul and Adrienne McDougal (Garden City, NY); her three sisters: Ditta Scully (Wilmington, NC), Nancy and Jack Bella (Leland, NC), and Peanut and Don Shupe (Cary, NC); her in-laws: Joan Hildreth (Montauk, NY), Connie Pieper (Park Rapids, MN), and Jerry and Jan Cashman (Bozeman, MT); 31 nieces and nephews and 55 great nieces and nephews; and many extended family members and dear friends, including Dee Andrejewski (Freehold, NJ) and Jean Mancuso (New Hope, PA).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a fund established at the North Dakota Community Foundation. All proceeds will support local charities, parks, and the arts that Carol held dear. Navigate to NDCF.net/donate or send donations to PO Box 387, Bismarck ND, 58502 (attention to Kara Geiger).

Oh, how we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

And as Carol always said, ‘Love you. Mean it.’