Carolyn Sue Clevenger

Carolyn Sue Goolsby Clevenger was born to John Junior Goolsby and Frieda Ann Rose Goolsby December 13, 1956. She died March 7, 2026. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Charles Ray. And by Buzzy, her beloved pet of 17 years. She is survived by her husband Jake and their two children, Jacob and Caleb. Some extended family and the many friends she made along the way, including her special friend Jenny.

Words. Such a crude way to attempt to define the magic of a life, how inefficient they are at describing the comedies and tragedies and pure joys of living one. May mine bring some comfort to those touched by hers. Her husband told me how her story ended, symptoms, biopsy, diagnosis, treatment, comfort care, death. Cancer. Only good thing I can say about terminal cases is it gives you time to say goodbye. We live, we die, do what we do in that little dash between the numbers on our rocks. Some want to fly high; some want to just get by, we do what we do as we live and what we do touches the lives of others.

Met her years ago, decades, lifetimes. The words 'free spirit" gets used a lot. And abused. But she was one, the real deal. The thing I usually remember the most about dead friends and family is their smiles, Carolyn had a great one she used often back then, had a love of life and a sense of humor that was infectious. Was looking for words to define her, "kind" and "decent" and "caring" jumped out immediately. With that smile and little laugh and sense of humor she had, definitely "fun". But the one that works best for me is the word "comfortable", she was easy to be around, someone that accepted you as you were, someone you could be real with. Not that she couldn't be fierce and rough and tough if needed, just that she had a gentle and quiet soul. Lot of loud people in this life craving center stage in every situation, she wasn't one of them, mostly quiet and in the background enjoying the show. There are some people I think of as duos rather than singulars, Carolyn one of them for me. Thought of her as "Carolyn and Bessie" at work, her and her cousin were close and usually on the same crew, but she was "Jake and Carolyn" everywhere else. "Soul mates" another couple words get used and abused a lot in this life, in reality a rare thing, they were the real deal. They didn't put up with each other's crap, called each other out on it, lived up front and honest with each other. And thrived as a couple as a result. Had and raised two children, lived their lives together until her death this week.

We live, we die, we do what we do in between, what we do touches the lives of others. Carolyn wasn't able to do much besides sit the last years of hers, time eventually gets us all and it slowly got her. But not as sad as it seems, she wasn't just sitting there, she was loving her family and friends and the things she loved and living and finding things to smile and laugh about even on days when there weren't many, comfortable in just being herself, smiling that smile she smiled, touching the lives of others to the end and now beyond. Fare thee well Carolyn, enjoy the journey as you enjoyed life, go knowing the love you felt for family and friends was and is felt for you. It was an honor to have you as a friend.

Ministry of Comfort was Entrusted to Southern Cremation and Burial Services of Murphysboro, Illinois.