Carol Sue Friend, 70, was born on April 18, 1950, in Bryan, Ohio, to the late Cashus and Clara (Paxton) Cramer. She passed triumphantly into the Lord’s arms on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, while at Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital, where she was cared for by many dedicated and wonderful frontline caregivers.
She was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She attended the Bryan Alliance Church for many years, where she taught children’s church and served as a deaconess.
She was a dedicated follower of Christ, taught her family the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and had the privilege of leading several people to Him. She was the ultimate caregiver.
As a daycare provider, she loved the children in her care and these friends were treated like family. Later in life, she also provided in-home care and comfort to seniors in their golden years.
She enjoyed snuggling with her grandkids, playing games with her family and was quite the card shark. She was an avid animal lover; she loved her pets and grand-pets. She had the singing voice of an angel, enjoyed reading and coloring intricate pictures with her favorite gel pens.
Baking pies and cooking family favorites were cherished hobbies. She was quite the storyteller, but always a compassionate listener as well. She loved vacationing on the Eastern seaboard from Cape Cod to Florida, as well as traveling the California coast.
She loved God and her family fiercely and wholeheartedly and that passion never ceased. She was a spiritual rock for many.
n addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her infant brother, Bobby Cramer; brother, Gene Cramer; and sister, Linda Cramer.
Carol is survived by her husband of 43 years, James “Jim” Friend; daughters, Lori (Aaron) Straub, Sandi (Steve) Cherko, Vanessa (Andy) Friend-Buntain; beloved grandchildren, Sarah Nawrocki, Justin Genot, Anthony Nawrocki, Rebekah Nawrocki, Madison Buntain, Karis Cherko, Bryce Cherko and Alexis Straub; great-grandchildren, Audrey, Gracein, Emma, Samuel and Max; sisters, Sally Omerod, Lucy Marvin and Rosie Gray; and many other relatives and friends. All will remember and cherish loving memories of this great woman.
A celebration of Carol’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, P.O. Box 105, Glenolden, PA 19036 (https://www.cmtausa.org/ways-to-give/donate/) or American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 (Make all checks payable to: American Diabetes Association or donate online at https://diabetes.org).
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