Velma May (O’Neal) Carrier was born on January 7, 1925, to Mabel (Estes) O’Neal & Clarence (better known as Jack) O’Neal in the small town of Reform, Missouri. She was the oldest of seven children born to this union. At an early age, she gave her heart to the Lord during a revival held in the Little Riverview Church led by B.C. Browning.
She had the opportunity to attend the Kansas City College & Bible School in Overland Park, Kansas. So, at the age of 14, she moved to the school and finished 9th grade through college there. After she graduated, she became a missionary and spent two years teaching in Ventura Bible School in Jamaica. When she returned from Jamaica, she moved back to the Bible School for more schooling and that’s where she met the love of her life, Merlin Carrier. They were married in May of 1953. They had four children, John, James, Paul, & Ruth.
Most of her adult years were spent gardening, teaching Sunday School Classes and playing the piano or organ at the Lighthouse Chapel in Kansas City North. She definitely had the spiritual gift of hospitality and loved entertaining guests. She would spend hours in the kitchen cooking and baking all sorts of award-winning goodies (from scratch) pies, cakes, casseroles, and many other yummy dishes. No one ever left hungry for sure.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Merlin; four younger sisters; two brothers; and one granddaughter, Jaime Carrier.
Velma is survived by her remaining brother, Clifford O’Neal (Sharon); four children & their spouses, John David (Diane), James Edward (Cindy), Paul Merlin (Janice), and Brenda Ruth Carrier. She has six grandchildren, Jeff (Kari) Carrier, Lorena (Kevin) Gardner, Jennifer (G) Carrier, Jon (Sarah) Courtney, Andrea (Ian) Henderson, & Jason Nelles. She also had nine great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Her greatest passion was to live a life that honored Jesus Christ her Savior. And her #1 prayer was that all of her loved ones would know Jesus as well, so she could spend eternity loving on them in Heaven.
Family and friends are all invited to attend and celebrate Velma's life on Friday, October 9, 2026, at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri, 64119. The day will begin with a visitation from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, followed immediately by the funeral ceremony at 1:00 PM, and concluding with the graveside burial in Johnson County Memorial Gardens, 11200 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas, 66210, at 3:00 PM.
