Carolyn C. Christ

Carolyn (Carr) Christ of Battle Creek, Michigan joined our Father in Heaven on Friday evening May 2, 2025, after almost ninety wonderful years on this earth.

Carolyn was born on July 6, 1935, as Elsie Carolyn Carr in Highland Park, Michigan as the only child of Warren “Budd” and Elsie Virginia (Kaufman) Carr.

Throughout her childhood, her family moved almost annually across Michigan’s lower peninsula including Detroit, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. She must have felt part nomad, often recalling that she had lived in more than 21 places when she married at the age of 21. At a young age, she learned to easily make and embrace new lifelong friendships.

She emerged as a leader early in life. Her second-grade teacher, Ruth Straight, wrote, “Carolyn is a leader in any group. Her ideas and suggestions are popular and show mature thinking. She cooperates well in all our activities. Carolyn has very good work habits. She is critical of herself and works carefully to measure up to what she knows she ought to do. She is conscientious and accurate. Carolyn’s reading and other language arts are above grade. Her reading is fluent and dramatic – oral and written expression is original and interesting. She is very good in spelling. Carolyn is accurate and fast in number work and seems to enjoy it. Carolyn does especially well in music. Her outstanding interest is in her father’s work - recruiting “Waves” (female Navy personnel) and patriotism are her favorite topics. Carolyn is an unusual little girl - intelligent and talented”

Carolyn’s love of penguins began when she played the part of Louisa the penguin in the play, Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

She always claimed Saugatuck on the Lake Michigan coast as her original hometown, where she spent her teen years and graduated first in her high school class while waitressing in the Maplewood Hotel, owned at the time by her parents. Over the ensuing years, she made countless leisure trips to Saugatuck, sharing the beauty and adventure of “her lake and her dunes” with her husband, children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

In 1957, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Education from Albion College including admission to the prestigious Mortar Board academic honor society. While at Albion, she met her lifelong love, Peter Christ, and 1955 graduate of Albion. She was a cheerleader, and he (briefly) organized a male cheerleading squad for the opportunity to meet her. She became a loyal Albion alum, regularly attending homecoming events, Perry House reunions, and gatherings at the Delta Zeta sorority throughout her life. She also served as President of the Albion College Alumni Association and on a Presidential search committee for the college.

Carolyn and Pete were married at the First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 15, 1957, shortly after her graduation. She launched her career as an elementary school teacher in Dearborn, Michigan while Pete served in the Army in Fort Knox, Kentucky leading to many weekend commutes for the young newlyweds. Later, they periodically reveled in sharing a lengthy slideshow touring their “vast” one room apartment with their children (this corner is the kitchen, this corner is the living room...).

Following an honorable discharge, Pete joined Carolyn in Dearborn for a couple of years (and their first two children) before relocating to Pete’s hometown of Battle Creek, where they would spend most of their adult lives. They moved into a modest 800 square foot home with a dream in their hearts. They joined the First Presbyterian Church of Battle Creek and eventually became 50+ year members. A few short years later, their hard work paid off and they built a new home and moved their growing family (now three children).

Throughout her life, Carolyn always put her family first as a wonderful wife and a loving mother. She exuded unconditional love for her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She drove tens of thousands of miles around Battle Creek in a series of station wagons to ensure that her children and their friends had opportunities in academics, sports, arts, and other adventures. Birthday parties and holidays with nieces and nephews across town were never missed.

As Pete and Carolyn’s youngest entered high school in 1979, Carolyn completed her Master of Arts in Counseling and Personnel from Western Michigan University and relaunched her professional career -- as a career counselor and instructor at Kellogg Community College. She impacted many young lives until Pete’s employer made them an offer too compelling to refuse. Now empty nesters, they moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts from 1984 through 1990.

Massachusetts provided the midwestern couple with many new adventures to explore – colonial landmarks, beautiful landscapes, and trips throughout New England. They continued to add to their list of lifelong friendships, treasuring each and every one. At First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, she served as the first lay pastoral visitor. She also personally designed and implemented a program to train a team of church members to make pastoral visits to church members in need of help. This program allowed the church to better meet the needs of the greater church community.

When Pete “retired” in 1990 (a term that neither of them honored), they returned to Battle Creek and rekindled many deep friendships including their monthly bridge club which has been together for over 64 years (and no longer plays bridge). Kids and grandkids have many fond memories of their times together at the Goguac Lake home. Carolyn joined the staff at First Presbyterian Church as the Pastoral Care Coordinator including leading the Stephens Ministry training program, the senior fellowship group, the hospital visitation team, and pastoral calling.

While she claimed Saugatuck, Battle Creek, and Longmeadow as her homes, Pete and Carolyn also looked forward to annual pilgrimages to their timeshare in Hilton Head, SC for over 25 years to greet spring early, before it arrived in Michigan. Carolyn found the Atlantic Ocean to be an acceptable proxy for her beloved Lake Michigan. For a few weeks each year, Hilton Head became “South Battle Creek” as they hosted family and friends. Many Battle Creek friends eventually joined the snowbirds in finding their own timeshares on the island and rendezvousing in the “low country.”

Somehow Carolyn found “spare time” and was called to a lifetime of citizenship and service through many servant leadership opportunities. She volunteered her time through the Jaycee Auxiliary, chaperoning the Miss Battle Creek Pageant, the Junior League of Battle Creek, and PEO. She supported the arts through board seats with Junior Theater, the Battle Creek Symphony, and the Music Center of South Central Michigan. She willingly served in healthcare when asked with Faith Health Network and North Pointe Woods. She rarely hesitated to answer the call.

In her final years, Carolyn faced multiple increasingly compound medical conditions. She never complained and refused to let it hamper her spirit. Even when the going was tough, she insisted on traveling to important family events when travel was anything but easy.

Carolyn loved deeply and was deeply loved by so many people. Family, friends, and communities have been enriched through her efforts and her example.

Surviving are her husband, Pete, daughter, Catherine (David) Lucas of Battle Creek, Michigan, son, Kevin Carr (Beverly) Christ of Grapevine Texas, grandsons Justin (Katy), Andrew (Marie), Colin (Kaylee) and Sean, daughter Lisa Christ of Marshall, Michigan, grandchildren Christian (Shanti) Brown, Carolyn O’Brien, Taylor Brown, four great grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation Preneed Care on Thursday, June 26th from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. A funeral service in her honor will be held the following day, June 27th at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church with a meal to follow in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Carolyn’s Celebration of Life will be livestreamed at: https://www.firstpresbc.org/livestream

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in Carolyn’s honor to any of the following:

• The Carolyn and Peter Christ Fund at the Battle Creek Community Foundation,32 West Michigan Avenue, Suite 1, Battle Creek MI 49017
• First Presbyterian Church, 111 Capital Ave NE, Battle Creek MI 49017
• The Music Center of South Central Michigan, 450 North Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49017, OR
• Albion College, 611 E. Porter St, Albion, MI 49224