Carolyn Sue Rains

Carolyn Sue Rains, 81, of Orange Grove, TX, passed away May 29, 2023. Carolyn was born in Stroud, Oklahoma, on January 23, 1942, to parents Leo and Bertha Rains.

She went to Davenport High School in Davenport, Oklahoma, and would have graduated in the class of 1960, but as was customary for the times, she got married during her sophomore year and became a wife and a mother. She married Larry Glen Jones in 1958 and went on to have 3 children in 2 ½ years. They later divorced, and she married Calistro Flores, Jr. in 1980, and 17 years after her youngest child was born, she had one more for a total of four children. They would later divorce, and she remained happily unattached for the next 30 years.

Anyone who knew Carolyn knew how important education was to her. In 1974 she got her GED and that was the start of her educational journey that lasted the rest of her life. She was a lifelong learner, starting college in 1985 at Bee County College (now Coastal Bend College) in Alice, TX. There she made the best of friends who are still part of her life today. After graduating with her Associate's Degree in 1989, she continued her education at Texas A&I University in Kingsville. She received her Bachelor's Degree in 1991, and would later earn three Master's Degrees, one in Adult Education, one in Computer Information Systems, and one in Sociology. In her professional career, she spent many years working at the Financial Aid Office at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and after getting her teaching certificate, taught several years at Agua Dulce ISD. Her most favorite job, and the one from which she ultimately retired, was at Coastal Bend College. To her, it wasn't a job. It was an opportunity to go back to where her journey began and encourage others with her story of perseverance and share her unlimited optimism. She especially loved the "non-traditional" students and would tell everyone that "you're never too old to learn!" She loved her work family and her students. However, after retiring from CBC, she still wasn't done, and spent the last few years of her life teaching dual-credit sociology classes at area high schools for Del Mar College. She taught right up until the day of her hospitalization.

Carolyn was a one-of-a-kind person who loved life and everyone in it, especially her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. She loved being called GG which stood for Great Grandma. And she absolutely loved good food, key lime pie, fireworks, traveling and Christmas. She had a soft spot for single mothers as she had spent many years as a single mother herself. Everyone loved hearing her stories and hearing her perspective because she had been through so much in her life. She had also done every job under the sun, from working on multiple dairy farms, cleaning houses and apartments, waitressing...you name it. She was a hard worker and a survivor. And despite all that, she was the most optimistic person you would ever meet.

Carolyn is survived by her sister, Linda Lanning; daughters Penelope Schuchert, San Antonio, TX; Merry Solis (Alex), Pleasanton, TX; Fancy Bernhagen (Bill), Portland, TX; daughter-in-law, Terri Pfeil (Dale), Floresville, TX; Seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Phyllis Sauer; her son, Larry Jones II (Terri); and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Rains.

The family wishes to recognize the caring staff at Harbor Hospice of Portland for the care they provided during her short time there.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 3, at 2pm, at Travis Baptist Church, 5802 Weber Road, Corpus Christi, TX. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Safer Path Family Violence Shelter of Pleasanton, TX, www.saferpathfvs.org.

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