Carolyn was born on October 13, 1944, in Pleasantville, Tennessee, to Vera Chessor and John Rowland. She was born at the home of her maternal grandparents, Paul and Bertha Chessor, and she spent the first few years of her life living with her mother, her grandparents, and her aunts who were only a few years older than she. She was Paul and Bertha's first grandchild and her grandmother was indeed a second mother to her. Bertha was her "Big Mama" and Vera was her "Little Mama." Carolyn learned her excellent cooking skills from Big Mama. In addition to cooking, Carolyn excelled at sewing just like her Big Mama did.
When her mother remarried, Carolyn moved to Lafayette, Tennessee, but she also lived in Long Beach, California for a time in the 1950s. One of her favorite stories was how she got off the school bus one day and went in the wrong direction and wound up at the beach. Luckily, her friends lived in that direction and she was able to stop and play there until her mother, who must have been quite worried, tracked her down.
Carolyn graduated from Macon County High School in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1953. It was quite the adventure for her to go to Washington, D.C. for her senior trip. She happily recalled that trip many times and kept a framed photo of her class in front of the Capitol.
Carolyn's first job was being a waitress at Durham's Lunch Counter in Lafayette. In the early 1960s people did not eat out the way they do now, so it must have been a somewhat unusual choice for a first job since Carolyn was not in the habit of eating out. Mrs. Durham made delicious pies, and although she usually didn't share her recipes, she did share two of her pie recipes with Carolyn. One recipe was for French Coconut pie and Carolyn made that recipe often.
She married Elmo Armstrong in 1966 and moved back to Hickman County, Tennessee. Elmo, who was 9 years older than Carolyn, was born and raised near Pleasantville and remembered when Carolyn was born. Carolyn and Elmo welcomed their only child, a daughter who they named Lynn, in 1967. She would recount many times that her baby was so small the doctor could hold her in one hand and that her husband told the doctor, "We'll keep her."
Although she would probably have preferred to have been a stay at home wife and mother, Carolyn worked at Levi Strauss & Company in Centerville, Tennessee. Even though she worked full time, she still managed to cook dinner every night, found the time to sew clothes and curtains, shuttle her daughter to piano lessons and marching band events and make sure all her homework was done and her tests studied for. Carolyn set high standards for her daughter, and although in later years she said she wished she had not pushed her daughter so hard, Lynn was grateful that she had done so.
Carolyn and Elmo built a house across from the Centerville Airport in 1971, and she lived there for the next 51 years. She loved her house, which her uncle Farrell Windsor built. The picture window looked out over the airport. It seems like a curious place to build a house, but her husband Elmo, who had dreamed of being an air traffic controller, loved airplanes.
After taking an early retirement from Levi's, Carolyn worked at Springs Bath Fashions in Nashville. Throughout the years, she also ran several small businesses. Carolyn and her husband Elmo co-owned Armstrong Fried Pies in Centerville in the 1980s, and after her "retirement" Carolyn started a new fried pie business, which she ran for several years.
Carolyn's favorite role in life, however, was being a mother and grandmother. Quite possibly her favorite time in life was being "Nannie," as she was affectionately called, to her granddaughter Anna and her great-niece Leslie, who she loved as if she were own daughter or granddaughter. She loved being able to care for "her girls" when they were little. Even though they were both grown by the time she passed away, she still referred to them as "her girls" and they, as well as her daughter, were ever present in her thoughts. A Nannie's love and concern have no time limits.
Carolyn will be remembered for her beauty; her talent as a homemaker; her work ethic; her strong will, perseverance, and ability to survive life's storms; and, most of all, her tender affection for all children. Like her husband Elmo, Carolyn loved and adored children and had a genuine concern for their welfare.
When her mother remarried, Carolyn moved to Lafayette, Tennessee, but she also lived in Long Beach, California for a time in the 1950s. One of her favorite stories was how she got off the school bus one day and went in the wrong direction and wound up at the beach. Luckily, her friends lived in that direction and she was able to stop and play there until her mother, who must have been quite worried, tracked her down.
Carolyn graduated from Macon County High School in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1953. It was quite the adventure for her to go to Washington, D.C. for her senior trip. She happily recalled that trip many times and kept a framed photo of her class in front of the Capitol.
Carolyn's first job was being a waitress at Durham's Lunch Counter in Lafayette. In the early 1960s people did not eat out the way they do now, so it must have been a somewhat unusual choice for a first job since Carolyn was not in the habit of eating out. Mrs. Durham made delicious pies, and although she usually didn't share her recipes, she did share two of her pie recipes with Carolyn. One recipe was for French Coconut pie and Carolyn made that recipe often.
She married Elmo Armstrong in 1966 and moved back to Hickman County, Tennessee. Elmo, who was 9 years older than Carolyn, was born and raised near Pleasantville and remembered when Carolyn was born. Carolyn and Elmo welcomed their only child, a daughter who they named Lynn, in 1967. She would recount many times that her baby was so small the doctor could hold her in one hand and that her husband told the doctor, "We'll keep her."
Although she would probably have preferred to have been a stay at home wife and mother, Carolyn worked at Levi Strauss & Company in Centerville, Tennessee. Even though she worked full time, she still managed to cook dinner every night, found the time to sew clothes and curtains, shuttle her daughter to piano lessons and marching band events and make sure all her homework was done and her tests studied for. Carolyn set high standards for her daughter, and although in later years she said she wished she had not pushed her daughter so hard, Lynn was grateful that she had done so.
Carolyn and Elmo built a house across from the Centerville Airport in 1971, and she lived there for the next 51 years. She loved her house, which her uncle Farrell Windsor built. The picture window looked out over the airport. It seems like a curious place to build a house, but her husband Elmo, who had dreamed of being an air traffic controller, loved airplanes.
After taking an early retirement from Levi's, Carolyn worked at Springs Bath Fashions in Nashville. Throughout the years, she also ran several small businesses. Carolyn and her husband Elmo co-owned Armstrong Fried Pies in Centerville in the 1980s, and after her "retirement" Carolyn started a new fried pie business, which she ran for several years.
Carolyn's favorite role in life, however, was being a mother and grandmother. Quite possibly her favorite time in life was being "Nannie," as she was affectionately called, to her granddaughter Anna and her great-niece Leslie, who she loved as if she were own daughter or granddaughter. She loved being able to care for "her girls" when they were little. Even though they were both grown by the time she passed away, she still referred to them as "her girls" and they, as well as her daughter, were ever present in her thoughts. A Nannie's love and concern have no time limits.
Carolyn will be remembered for her beauty; her talent as a homemaker; her work ethic; her strong will, perseverance, and ability to survive life's storms; and, most of all, her tender affection for all children. Like her husband Elmo, Carolyn loved and adored children and had a genuine concern for their welfare.
Carolyn was born on October 13, 1944, in Pleasantville, Tennessee, to Vera Chessor and John Rowland. She was born at the home of her maternal grandparents, Paul and Bertha Chessor, and she spent the first few years of her life living with her mother, her grandparents, and her aunts who were only a few years older than she. She was Paul and Bertha's first grandchild and her grandmother was indeed a second mother to her. Bertha was her "Big Mama" and Vera was her "Little Mama." Carolyn learned her excellent cooking skills from Big Mama. In addition to cooking, Carolyn excelled at sewing just like her Big Mama did.
When her mother remarried, Carolyn moved to Lafayette, Tennessee, but she also lived in Long Beach, California for a time in the 1950s. One of her favorite stories was how she got off the school bus one day and went in the wrong direction and wound up at the beach. Luckily, her friends lived in that direction and she was able to stop and play there until her mother, who must have been quite worried, tracked her down.
Carolyn graduated from Macon County High School in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1953. It was quite the adventure for her to go to Washington, D.C. for her senior trip. She happily recalled that trip many times and kept a framed photo of her class in front of the Capitol.
Carolyn's first job was being a waitress at Durham's Lunch Counter in Lafayette. In the early 1960s people did not eat out the way they do now, so it must have been a somewhat unusual choice for a first job since Carolyn was not in the habit of eating out. Mrs. Durham made delicious pies, and although she usually didn't share her recipes, she did share two of her pie recipes with Carolyn. One recipe was for French Coconut pie and Carolyn made that recipe often.
She married Elmo Armstrong in 1966 and moved back to Hickman County, Tennessee. Elmo, who was 9 years older than Carolyn, was born and raised near Pleasantville and remembered when Carolyn was born. Carolyn and Elmo welcomed their only child, a daughter who they named Lynn, in 1967. She would recount many times that her baby was so small the doctor could hold her in one hand and that her husband told the doctor, "We'll keep her."
Although she would probably have preferred to have been a stay at home wife and mother, Carolyn worked at Levi Strauss & Company in Centerville, Tennessee. Even though she worked full time, she still managed to cook dinner every night, found the time to sew clothes and curtains, shuttle her daughter to piano lessons and marching band events and make sure all her homework was done and her tests studied for. Carolyn set high standards for her daughter, and although in later years she said she wished she had not pushed her daughter so hard, Lynn was grateful that she had done so.
Carolyn and Elmo built a house across from the Centerville Airport in 1971, and she lived there for the next 51 years. She loved her house, which her uncle Farrell Windsor built. The picture window looked out over the airport. It seems like a curious place to build a house, but her husband Elmo, who had dreamed of being an air traffic controller, loved airplanes.
After taking an early retirement from Levi's, Carolyn worked at Springs Bath Fashions in Nashville. Throughout the years, she also ran several small businesses. Carolyn and her husband Elmo co-owned Armstrong Fried Pies in Centerville in the 1980s, and after her "retirement" Carolyn started a new fried pie business, which she ran for several years.
Carolyn's favorite role in life, however, was being a mother and grandmother. Quite possibly her favorite time in life was being "Nannie," as she was affectionately called, to her granddaughter Anna and her great-niece Leslie, who she loved as if she were own daughter or granddaughter. She loved being able to care for "her girls" when they were little. Even though they were both grown by the time she passed away, she still referred to them as "her girls" and they, as well as her daughter, were ever present in her thoughts. A Nannie's love and concern have no time limits.
Carolyn will be remembered for her beauty; her talent as a homemaker; her work ethic; her strong will, perseverance, and ability to survive life's storms; and, most of all, her tender affection for all children. Like her husband Elmo, Carolyn loved and adored children and had a genuine concern for their welfare.
When her mother remarried, Carolyn moved to Lafayette, Tennessee, but she also lived in Long Beach, California for a time in the 1950s. One of her favorite stories was how she got off the school bus one day and went in the wrong direction and wound up at the beach. Luckily, her friends lived in that direction and she was able to stop and play there until her mother, who must have been quite worried, tracked her down.
Carolyn graduated from Macon County High School in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1953. It was quite the adventure for her to go to Washington, D.C. for her senior trip. She happily recalled that trip many times and kept a framed photo of her class in front of the Capitol.
Carolyn's first job was being a waitress at Durham's Lunch Counter in Lafayette. In the early 1960s people did not eat out the way they do now, so it must have been a somewhat unusual choice for a first job since Carolyn was not in the habit of eating out. Mrs. Durham made delicious pies, and although she usually didn't share her recipes, she did share two of her pie recipes with Carolyn. One recipe was for French Coconut pie and Carolyn made that recipe often.
She married Elmo Armstrong in 1966 and moved back to Hickman County, Tennessee. Elmo, who was 9 years older than Carolyn, was born and raised near Pleasantville and remembered when Carolyn was born. Carolyn and Elmo welcomed their only child, a daughter who they named Lynn, in 1967. She would recount many times that her baby was so small the doctor could hold her in one hand and that her husband told the doctor, "We'll keep her."
Although she would probably have preferred to have been a stay at home wife and mother, Carolyn worked at Levi Strauss & Company in Centerville, Tennessee. Even though she worked full time, she still managed to cook dinner every night, found the time to sew clothes and curtains, shuttle her daughter to piano lessons and marching band events and make sure all her homework was done and her tests studied for. Carolyn set high standards for her daughter, and although in later years she said she wished she had not pushed her daughter so hard, Lynn was grateful that she had done so.
Carolyn and Elmo built a house across from the Centerville Airport in 1971, and she lived there for the next 51 years. She loved her house, which her uncle Farrell Windsor built. The picture window looked out over the airport. It seems like a curious place to build a house, but her husband Elmo, who had dreamed of being an air traffic controller, loved airplanes.
After taking an early retirement from Levi's, Carolyn worked at Springs Bath Fashions in Nashville. Throughout the years, she also ran several small businesses. Carolyn and her husband Elmo co-owned Armstrong Fried Pies in Centerville in the 1980s, and after her "retirement" Carolyn started a new fried pie business, which she ran for several years.
Carolyn's favorite role in life, however, was being a mother and grandmother. Quite possibly her favorite time in life was being "Nannie," as she was affectionately called, to her granddaughter Anna and her great-niece Leslie, who she loved as if she were own daughter or granddaughter. She loved being able to care for "her girls" when they were little. Even though they were both grown by the time she passed away, she still referred to them as "her girls" and they, as well as her daughter, were ever present in her thoughts. A Nannie's love and concern have no time limits.
Carolyn will be remembered for her beauty; her talent as a homemaker; her work ethic; her strong will, perseverance, and ability to survive life's storms; and, most of all, her tender affection for all children. Like her husband Elmo, Carolyn loved and adored children and had a genuine concern for their welfare.
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