Carole Alcorn

Carole June Alcorn (Waymire), 79, loving mom, grandma, sister and friend, went home to be with her Lord on October 23, 2021.

Carole was born March 26, 1942, in Matthews, Indiana. Her father was Cecil E. Waymire and her mother Cecil C. Waymire (Dunsmore). She attended Jefferson Township High School in Upland, Indiana, and Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. She worked tirelessly at multiple jobs simultaneously to provide for her family, ultimately retiring as a cashier from Meijer in 2003 and as a bus driver from Lakeview School District in 2008.

Carole always held a special place in her heart for the farm of her childhood where she grew up in Matthews, Indiana, the place that sowed the seeds which germinated into the compassionate person she was, and the place where she learned the essential lessons she continued to display throughout her life: hard work, fondness for the outdoors, love of family, friends, and animals, and giving completely of herself to others in need. It was also here the love of Christ captured her heart and soul at the little white Pleasant Grove church in the country, and this enabled her to begin her lifelong quest to carry His message to others she encountered during her journey.  She was a longtime attendee of Southside Bible Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.

To her grandchildren she was known as “Granny”, a badge she wore proudly.  It was her life’s joy to spend time with them, never missing a chance to dote on them, play games, or make them their favorite treats - the best milkshakes and homemade fries anywhere according to her grandsons!  Making  lasting memories with them was what she strived to do.

Carole spent hours working in her yard while her pet rescue dogs patiently waited outside with her to finally take a break to come in and watch The Wheel of Fortune – she was an excellent puzzle solver!  She rescued many dogs over the years and tried to better the lives of many other unfortunate dogs she would spot while driving on her school bus route or in her neighborhood.  She also improved the lives of elderly friends and neighbors in need, helping them with chores and errands, preparing meals, and visiting with them when their lives left them feeling like isolated shut-ins. She extended this same compassion to the special education students on her school bus route, and they would often seek her out when they spotted her in public. To go with Carole almost anywhere required a measure of patience, as it was likely that someone she had touched from her past or present was going to stop her and chat her up for a while, including those students and their parents, or even persons that she only knew by waiting on them in-line while working at Meijer. People just wanted to talk with her. For her family, she touched our lives in immeasurable ways, including teaching us of the love of Christ, and we are the better for her influence. And though she has left a vast void, she has forged our relationships with the only One who can fill that void.

Carole is survived by her loving and devoted children Tami (Richard) Hooker of Chidester, AR, Sherry Alcorn of Vicksburg, MI, Dean Alcorn of Fennville, MI, and Lea (Ron) Winans of Lake Linden, MI, and grandchildren RJ, Josiah, Zeb, and Simmie (Winans); sister Kay (Bill) Duncan of Gas City, IN; sister-in-law Margaret (Butch) Waymire of Eaton, IN; brother-in-law Michael (Juanita) Thornton of Shingletown, CA, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers, Cecil (Butch) Waymire and James (Jim) Waymire, and sisters Patty Ricketts and Juanita (Sissie) Thornton.

In celebration of Mom’s going home, a memorial service will be held Friday, October 29, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., at South Side Bible Church, 4515 Beckley Rd., Battle Creek, MI. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments and a time of sharing will follow the service.  Interment will be at Matthews I00F Cemetery in Matthews, IN on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to South Side Bible Church (south-sidebible.org), the International Lung Cancer Foundation (iaslc.org), or Midwest Beagle Rescue, Education & Welfare (gotbeagles.org).

Arrangements  by Richard A. Henry Funeral Home ( www.henryfuneralhome.org ) in Battle Creek.  Please visit our website to leave a message or memory for the family.