Obituary for Carol Jean Estes, 9/3/1926 to 3/28/2021
Carol J. Estes, 94, of St. Johns Michigan, passed away on Palm Sunday, March 28 in Bullard, Texas.
The center of Carol’s life was both family and her relationship with Jesus Christ. Carol became a Christian on Good Friday, 1963 when first responding to an invitation to church from her best friend, Betty Snyder, and then from Jesus as Pastor Peter Nieuwkoop asked those in attendance to give their lives to God. That weekend Carol and Herb, and their four oldest children, accepted Christ as Savior (leaving the two youngest children to make that decision years later).
“Carol Jean,” born in Detroit, was the only child of Ernest & Nora Root and spent most of her life in St. Johns, MI. She grew up on a farm and attended the public school system through high school.
After high school graduation she attended Lansing Business College before joining the Signal Corps during WWII. While serving the war effort in Washington, DC, Carol attended a party where the hostess was wearing a particularly large and attractive necklace. After admiring it the hostess asked if Carol would like to wear it, and this became one of Carol’s favorite historical stories of when she wore the Hope Diamond.
Carol’s first two children were David (died 2016) and Douglas Nickelson. Carol met her 2nd husband, Herbert D Estes at the St. Johns Furniture Store in 1956 while she was working across the street at Lakes Jewelry Store on main street (Herb had lost his first wife to cancer). They were married in 1957 and Herb’s children Terry (died 2006) and Trudy joined the family. It wasn’t long before the births of Timothy and Diana grew the “yours, mine and ours” family. In addition to six children, Carol has 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Along with kids, grandkids and friends, Carol loved her pets, reading, camping, and gardening. Daughter Diana said, “One time camping with mom while Tim and Dad were off hunting, Mom and I stayed back at the camper and played cards and had so much fun and laughed most of the time.”
Carol’s lifelong focus was primarily family and church family. She loved both so much. When she didn’t have as many kids to keep track of, she became more involved at the First Baptist Church, including singing in the choir and volunteering in the food pantry. Her friend Mary Ann Green said, “Carol and I used to get in trouble with the choir leader and he always put someone in between us to keep us from causing too much trouble.”
Carol moved to Tyler, TX in 2012 to be close to her youngest daughter, Diana (Susie) Doyle. After living with the family for a while she then moved into independent living and enjoyed that until November of last year when she transitioned to long-term care and then recently to hospice care.
A Memorial Service will be held on May 12 at First Baptist Church of St. Johns, MI at 10:00 AM with a burial beside her husband Herbert D. Estes (passed 1996) at Mount Rest Cemetery immediately afterwards. In lieu of flowers or memorial gifts you are invited to contribute to a church landscape area which will be created this year as a Carol Estes Memorial. Contributions may be made in care of First Baptist Church, 512 S. Whittemore St., St. Johns, MI 48879. Online giving is also available at https://stjohnsfbc.churchcenter.com/giving (enter amount and then under “General” click “Memorial” to continue).
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