Carolyn Faye Ingram

Carolyn Faye Hillhouse Ingram, 92, peacefully passed away to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 16, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on January 6, 1933, in Houlka, MS, to William Stewart and Maggie Tate Hillhouse, Carolyn's life was one marked by love, faith, and passion for adventure.

She met and married the love of her life, Joe Ingram, who she often said completed her. Together, they built a beautiful life. At the age of 46, Carolyn achieved her dream of becoming a licensed pilot with an IFR rating. She cherished the years she spent flying and was an active member of the Women’s Pilot Association, The 99's.

For the last two decades of her career, Carolyn worked alongside her husband in his mechanical contracting business, where she handled bookkeeping and office duties. Prior to this, she had retired from Gordon Transports, Inc., after many fulfilling years of service.

A devout Christian, Carolyn was a faithful member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church. She often reminisced about the prayers her mother taught her as a child, particularly the prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I shall die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Carolyn's favorite Bible verses included John 3:16, the Lord's Prayer, and the 23rd Psalm.

Carolyn was also an avid knife collector, with nearly 500 knives in her collection. She took great pride in sharing her collection with family and friends. What began as a hobby shared with her husband, Joe, soon became her passion when she took over the collection and curated it with great care.

Carolyn’s love for family, faith, and life will be dearly missed, but her legacy of kindness, devotion, and joy will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew her.

Each night, Carolyn prayed, "Dear God and Jesus Christ, please let it be Thy will that I live as long, but no longer, as Joe, so I can take care of him and tell him what to do when he can't remember what he should do. You have been so good to us that I could never find the words to thank you. Please put your arms around me and hold me for just a little while, as I know how busy you are and that you must go. Thank you for sending your one and only Son into the world and dying for my sins. Thank you for my life and everything I have enjoyed in it for so many years. Thank you for bringing Joe into my life, as he completed me. Amen."

She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Joe Ingram; her parents, William Stewart and Maggie Tate Hillhouse; five brothers: William Stewart, Jr., Theo Lamar, Charles Calvin, George Clyde, James Floyd and two sisters, Nancy Ruth Alred and Jack Avon Gault.

Carolyn leaves behind one sister, Janelle Thomas Hillhouse Patterson; a host of nieces and nephews; a special person whom she knew since she was born, Kristen Taylor Bond; Taylor’s parents, The Late Stan Bond and Cindy Bond; two special friends, Jean Garner Collins and Sandra Bond; a nephew, Joe Russell Hillhouse (Gayle), and two of her husbands cousins, Sue Atkinson Barkley (Gary) and Ken Parks (Brenda).

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 2:00 pm with visitation beginning at 1:00 pm at Brantley Funeral Home, 6875 Cockrum St. Olive Branch, MS 38654. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Midtown in Memphis, TN.