Carrol June Earnest

Carrol June Earnest, age 81, of Sioux Rapids, Iowa passed away August 2, 2023 at the Spencer Hospital in Spencer, Iowa.

Memorial services will take place Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. at the Baptist Church in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. Visitation will be a half hour prior to the service at the church. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Sioux Rapids is in charge of arrangements.

Carrol June Earnest was born on January 9, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas to Guy and Ruby Lea (Humphrey) Earnest. Her dad went to serve in World War II and died in the Battle of the Bulge. While attending Aspen Road Baptist in San Antonio. Carrol made a decision to follow Christ and was baptized. Her mother married Aanen Knutsen and they lived in San Antonio and Bryan, Texas and eventually Greenbrier, Arkansas, where Carrol graduated from High School. Carrol attended Mary Hardin Baylor University in Belton, Texas and graduated with a degree in English Education and a minor in Music. While in college she married Ray Marshall in 1961. To this union were born James in 1962 and Russell in 1970. She taught in the Corpus Christi, Texas school district for several years. In 1974, their marriage ended and she married Jerry Smith in Steep Hollow, Texas. While in Steep Hollow, Carrol taught English at Bryan High School, worked as a financial secretary for 1st Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas, and played the organ at church. Carrol always maintained a large display of day lilies, sending some to her son in Iowa. She also supplied the family with fresh eggs from the chickens she raised. Other hobbies included embroidery work and reading books. In 1992, they purchased a lake home near Caldwell, Texas and later retired in College Station where they lived until 2006. Shortly after their divorce, Carrol suffered a heart attack and moved to Iowa to live with Russell for a year. In 2007, she moved to the Sioux Rapids apartments. She lived for a short time in Spencer, but returned to the apartments where she once again grew many beautiful flowers and huge cherry tomato plants. She was active in Sioux Rapids Baptist church where she taught adult Sunday School and played the organ.

Carrol passed away at Spencer, Iowa on August 2, 2023 following a short illness. Carrol is survived by her sons, Russell Marshall and wife Michelle of Peterson, Iowa; James Marshall and wife Connie of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Granddaughter, Jennifer Marshall of Omaha, Nebraska; sister Diana Camp of Guthrie, Oklahoma; brother Aanen Knutsen of Gilmer, Texas; sister Christine Hargis of Falem, Oregon; four nieces and nephews, and many friends and neighbors.

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