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In Loving Memory of Carolyn Elaine Rushing
Carolyn Elaine Rushing, 82, of Durant, Oklahoma, went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 29, 2026.
Carolyn was a woman whose heart was as big as her love for the Lord. She loved Jesus with all her heart, mind, body, and soul, and her faith was not simply something she spoke about, it was something she lived every day. She firmly believed in the power of prayer and trusted in the Lord through every season of her life.
Carolyn's life also included a beautiful love story. On May 24, 1965, in Cushing, Oklahoma, she married her longtime pen pal, Glendel Rushing. What began with letters blossomed into a lifelong love and marriage. Carolyn loved Glendel very much, and together they shared nearly 58 years of marriage before his passing in 2023, just two months shy of their 58th wedding anniversary.
On July 31, 1966, Glendel and Carolyn joined Calvary Baptist Church in Durant. Their church family became an important part of their lives and ministry. Glendel taught a Sunday School class for more than 50 years, and Carolyn did the same. Together, they faithfully served the Lord and poured their love, wisdom, and encouragement into generations of people.
For many years, Carolyn also devoted her life to teaching. She loved her students deeply, and to Carolyn, they were never simply students, they were her children. She poured her heart into them, loved them, encouraged them, and made each one feel important and valued. The impact she had on the lives of those she taught will continue through the many lives she touched.
Carolyn had a rare and beautiful gift: she made people feel loved. Anyone who crossed her path was made to feel special, seen, heard, and welcomed. She had a way of making people feel as though they were already part of her family. Her love for others flowed so naturally from her love for Christ that simply being around her could remind you of what it means to love unconditionally.
Those who knew Carolyn knew that she loved deeply and wholeheartedly. She never met a stranger, and she never made anyone feel as though they did not belong. Her kindness, prayers, faith, and enormous heart left an impression that will never be forgotten.
Carolyn is survived by her beloved nephew, Hunter Jeske and his wife Angel Jeske, her brother, Robert Jeske; her cousins, Louis and Pam Jeske and Louann Sollars; and the countless students, friends, church family members, and loved ones who were blessed to know her and call her family.
Though our hearts are broken by her passing, we find comfort in knowing that Carolyn is now home with the Lord she loved so dearly. We also find comfort in imagining her reunited with Glendel, the love of her life, after three years apart. The woman who spent her life showing others the love of Christ is now in the presence of Christ Himself and once again with the man she loved so deeply.
Her life was a testimony of faith, love, prayer, service, and devotion. Her memory will live on in every student she taught, every Sunday School lesson she shared, every person she encouraged, every prayer she prayed, and every heart she touched.
Carolyn's Celebration of Life will be held at Calvary Baptist Church on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. with Bro. Brent Cook officiating.
Until we meet again, Carolyn, may we carry your love with us, love others as deeply as you did, and never forget the beautiful way you made each of us feel seen, heard, special, and loved.
"Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:23