Carolyn Gibson
Jerseyville |
Carolyn L. (Winkler) Gibson, 84, passed away, Sunday, May 5, 2024, at her home in Kansas City, Missouri. Carolyn was a long-time resident of Jerseyville before moving to Kansas City in 2012 to be closer to her family.
She was born on June 2, 1939, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, the only child of Paul and Genevieve (Zumwalt) Winkler of Hamburg, Illinois.
She graduated in 1957 from Calhoun High School in Hardin, Illinois, and in 1961 from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. While attending WIU, she met Ronald Gibson, and they married on August 20, 1961. Mark was born on November 19, 1963. Both Ron and Carolyn took teaching jobs in Jerseyville, and they began their teaching careers at East Elementary School. Ron taught sixth grade and Carolyn taught third grade. Carolyn eventually moved to West Elementary and taught kindergarten and Ron moved to the high school and taught History, Economics, and US Government. In 1970, Carolyn received her Masters Degree in Special Education and then she embarked on her greatest passion – teaching Special Education.
Carolyn loved teaching her kids. She had a passion for helping all children. The kids loved her, and she loved her children in return. After she retired from teaching in 1988, many children she taught came by her house to talk and tell her what she had meant to them and how she had helped them become the person they were today. That gave her great joy.
However, the greatest joy in her life were her grandchildren – Sam, Will, and Emma. She gained a bonus grandchild in 2008 with Courtney, and she became a great-grandmother on July 4, 2023, when Briseis ‘Bri’ Wiley came into the world.
While living in Jerseyville, she was a member of Westlake County Club and the First United Methodist Church.
Surviving are her son, Mark L. Gibson (Melanie) of Lake Waukomis, Missouri. Four grandchildren, Sam Gibson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Will Gibson of Kansas City, Missouri, Emma Gibson of Overland Park, Kansas, and Courtney Wiley of Phoenix, Arizona; and one great-granddaughter, Briseis ‘Bri’ Wiley. She also leaves behind her best friends from high school, Jeri Ann Fischer from Godfrey and Larry and Ann Wangelin from Godfrey. And her good friend Virginia Wagner of Carrollton, Illinois.
She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 10 at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville.
Funeral Services will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 11 at Crawford Funeral Home.
Burial will be at Crescent Heights Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Jerseyville Public Library.
Memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.crawfordfunerals.com
Crawford Funeral Home
