Carol R Scranton

Carol Ruth Scranton was born in Modesto to Alta and Eugene Scranton of Hughson. A third generation Hughson resident, Carol was the youngest of three siblings living in the family home on the corner of Fourth and Pine Streets. As a young girl, Carol participated in the Girl Scouts and church choir, and was installed as Chaplin for the Ceres Bethel of Jobs Daughters. After graduating from Hughson High in 1952, Carol attended Modesto Junior College and received her A.A. degree before transferring to the College of the Pacific. While in college, Carol acted in several community and college theater productions. She earned her B.A. from COP in 1957, and moved to Merced where she was hired by Merced City Schools. She taught elementary school for 37 years, primarily at Chenoweth Elementary, until her retirement in 1994. Carol was a dedicated teacher and cared deeply for the children she taught, and would often reach out to families outside the classroom to help her students succeed, and she was especially endeared by the Hmong families when they migrated to the area in the 1980’s. In her world travels for continuing education, Carol gathered ideas and artifacts that enriched the learning and understanding of different cultures in her classroom. Carol enjoyed the friendships and camaraderie of her school staff and colleagues, and for several years she was involved in the AAUW and served as the teacher’s union representative. After living in Merced for 57 years, Carol moved back to Hughson in 2014, where she enjoyed spending more time with her loving family, her childhood friends, and with the community and staff of Samaritan Village. Carol read voraciously, and loved her music, card games, and trips to Carmel and Reno with friends. She would tell stories of family history with a flair for the dramatic, and was always ready with a joke and laughter. She was deeply spiritual, first as a Methodist then as a converted Catholic, and her faith gave her great comfort. Her “kids” were her nephews and nieces and their children, as well as the aides and staff who helped her, and she was affectionately known as “Auntie Carol” by all. Carol is survived by Brother Dennis Scranton of Miles City, Montana, nephews Greg (Patrice) Bava of Turlock, and Mike (Julia) Bava of Hughson, nieces Cindy (Steve) Spiro of Woodland and Karen (Tom) Roa of Rolling Hills Estates, her great nephews and nieces, and their children. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Patricia Bava. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 25 at 10:00 a.m. in the Heritage Chapel at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson Visitation and Rosary will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday in the Riverside State Room. Memorial gifts can be made to the Merced County Education Foundation, PO Box 1, Merced CA 95341.