Mary Caroline Durham

February 4, 1934 - December 24, 2020

Burleson, Texas

Mary Caroline Joiner Durham, fondly known as Carol, Mom, Grandmommy, and

Mom D., 86, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2020.

Service: A private graveside service will be held at Laurel Land. Due to Covid, no visitation will be held. A Celebration of Life service will be held when it is safe to do so. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Burleson, noting “Carol Durham Endowment Fund.”

Carol was born on February 4, 1934 to Nellie Lee and Henry Grady Joiner. When she was a young child, her family moved to Lorenzo, Texas. Carol had three younger brothers: Joe, Max, and Gerre whom she cared for beginning at age 5 while her Mom and Daddy worked in the family cotton fields. She lived in Lorenzo until venturing twenty miles west and enrolling at Texas Tech University. While at Tech, she “officially” majored in Elementary Education but really was having fun, entertaining friends with her jokes and keen sense of humor, and not necessarily going to classes. At Tech, she met and later married on February 13, 1954 Harvey Joe “Bo” Durham, and they lived together happily ever after. Carol and Bo moved to Fort Worth after they married where Bo had a good engineering career at General Dynamics, now Lockheed. Carol became a stay-at-home wife and mother and adored everything about it, lovingly rearing three children, Karen, Gayla and Lisa. Our family moved to Garden Acres in Burleson in 1957.

Faith, family, and friends were Carol’s main focus in life. And in that order, too! She was very active in her church, First United Methodist Church of Burleson where our family worshiped for over 63 years. Carol held many positions and served on various committees through her church and the Gleaners Sunday School Class. When someone needed a prayer, Mom was the “go-to” person. Big and small, she prayed often and fervently. We often joked that she had a hotline straight to God.

She believed in respect, loyalty, a clean and tidy home, structure, good manners, good grammar, and handwritten notes. Carol loved hummingbirds. She truly loved to talk on the phone! She sang with joy in her heart. There were four staples you could count on her doing each day: she got up early, made her bed, put on make-up and cooked dinner for Bo. Carol was fiercely dedicated to rearing their three girls, guiding them to Jesus, following the rules (hers!) and becoming independent, happy young women. She did not mince words – you knew her opinion on matters whether you wanted to know or not. Carol would tell you exactly what to say, beginning with “My name is …” and insisting that you grab a pencil to write it all down, word for word, so you didn’t miss a thing. Seriously. She did it her way.

When Carol called you a friend, you were a friend for life. She had many loving friends during her lifetime, far too many to call by name. After the girls were on their own, she and Bo travelled extensively and it was a great source of joy in her life.

This amazing wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, auntie and friend was friendly and talkative, kind yet firm, smart in worldly ways, busy, and happy. Though her body failed and her spirit left this world, Carol leaves a legacy of love and faith which will continue through her daughters and through them to their children and grandchildren as well. Carol made the difference between lives lived and lives lived well. We are extremely blessed to call her ours.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Joe and Max.

Survivors: Husband of 66 years, Bo, children, Karen Camp, Gayla Oatman English (Pat), and Lisa May (Chip); six grandchildren, Jessica Camp Clark (Randy), Emily Caroline Camp Dennis (Clint), Ryan Oatman (Kari), Trent Oatman (Madison), Trevor May, and Courtney May Targac (John); and greatgrandchildren Owen, Ivy, Caroline, Shepherd, Jameson, Audrey, Connor, Emerson, and Sloane. Carol is also survived by one brother, Gerre and wife JoAnn, their children Julie Caroline and Matt, and one sister-in-love, Tricia and husband A.O., and their children Joe Rob, Sami, and Kasi.