Carol Lee McCrohan

Unconditional Love: As viewed through my eyes, Aunt Carol was the last in a short line of persons having unconditional love for all the ones she loved. She did what she could to support us physically and emotionally; sometime receiving but usually giving. Unbelievable Fun: Aunti was a fortnight older than myself but full of young fun. At 70 she and I walked between the Capitol Building, across the Reflecting Pool, to the Lincoln Memorial just because it seemed challenging and fun. Few people knew that Aunt Carol, her sister (my mom), Jeanette (my wife), and I played bridge together. Teams were Aunt Carol/Jeanette against mom/myself. Who usually won? NO COMMENT!!! By-the-way, Aunt Carol and I reminisced on 10/28 (she died 10/29) about bridge, I was still trying to re-tally history and swing the win column in my direction. As usual, she won the debate. Inseparable Sisters: From her sister’s viewpoint Carol was like a daughter. Carol thought of my mom as her mom at times. The sisters were 13 years apart. When Aunti was very young (five years old), my mom Martha Rice, left the family home to marry. Nevertheless, those two sisters could never be divided! Carol helped build our family cabin in northern Michigan; mom and Carol became involved in antiques together all the time trying to best one another in a china cabinets show off of filled Art Glass. Carol followed mom from Kansas City to Michigan, to Iowa, then Maryland-inseparable sisters. Their spouses, my dad Marlin Rice and my Uncle Tim McCrohan, even died within two days of one another-Tim 10/21/86, dad 10/23/86. Undeniable Faith: Aunt Carol was a Bible believing Catholic. She listened to the audible Bible daily and knew it better than many. She purchased an audible Bible for me because she felt it important to hear the Word of God and not just read it. She said, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17 KJV) Aunti enjoyed the traditions of the Catholic faith; Christmas, Easter, and other Catholic traditions like the sacraments of the Catholic church. Two days before her death a priest gave her Holy Communion and Last Rights. She received this as a kind of formal out word way of experiencing her deep inward faith in her Lord and savior Jesus Christ whom she alone trusted for her entrance into heaven. Her final message to you: I visited her 10/28 for a few hours. It was obvious she was not going to be with us much longer. We recounted our lives together and enjoyed each others company. Our tradition was to hug and say, "see you later; I love you!". This time Aunti Carol could only use her left arm and raise up a little in the bed. We hugged and she said, "I love you"; you know, that unconditional love I spoke of earlier. We released and she drew me back once more and said, "Give this hug to Jeanette and all the kids in case we don't see one another again. Tell Jeanette I love her and tell all the kids I love them." With those two or three hugs I departed with intentions of coming back after work the next day. Aunti went to be with her Lord Jesus the next morning around 7:00am, 10/29/2020. Aunt Carols final message to you is that she loves you and gives you her hug.