Carolyn J. James, 84, passed away at 8:07 am Sunday November 29, 2020 at home with her family by her side.
She was born on July 18, 1936 in Decatur, IL the daughter of Clyde & Louise (English) Freeman.
Carolyn married Paul James in Harrison, AR and he preceded her in death on June 7, 2018.
She was an active member of Main St. Methodist Church in Alton where she served as a council member and chaired the women’s ministry. She was an active member of the Mississippi Valley Garden Club and was a very avid gardener. She was a member of a book club, knitting club, and loved the theatre.
Carolyn earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from SIUE with a minor in art. She retired from General Electric and the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City where she worked in claims. After her retirement, she moved to Godfrey to be near her family.
Carolyn is survived by three children, Robert James (Howard Grothe) of California, Diane McAdams (Clark) of Weatherfield, CT, Teena Read (Rich) of Godfrey; a brother, Gerald Clyde Freeman of Arizona; a sister-in-law, Joanna Sue Franklin (Ken) of Tallahassee, FL; four grandchildren, Shannon Castellanos (Antonio Rosario), Jennifer Ahrens (Eric), Nathan Gerdes (Kristin), Donny Funk (Angela); eight great grandchildren, Adrien, Andrew and Alexander Ahrens, Kaylee Mitchell, Julien Castellanos, Blake and Beau Gerdes, Evelyn and Brayden Funk.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was also preceded in death by two sisters, Rebecca Bouchez and Sharon Dian, and a sister-in-law, Janice Freeman.
Cremation rites will be accorded.
Private Funeral Services will be held Saturday December 5, 2020 at Elias, Kallal and Schaaf Funeral Home in Godfrey with Rev. Patrick Thatcher officiating. A celebration of life will be held in the Spring of 2021.
Memorials may be made to Main St. Methodist Church in Alton or the American Lung Association.
An online guestbook may be found online at www.eliaskallalandschaaf.com
