"I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me."

--PHILIPPIANS 4:13--

Carol Evonne Rayborn

BORN AUGUST 23, 1941

WENT TO BE WITH HER LORD APRIL 2, 2016

Carol was born in Kirksville, Missouri to Charles and Millicent Miller. Millicent lost her life in an auto accident when Carol and her siblings were very young. Charles remarried in 1945, and Carol's stepmother, Marjorie, immediately bonding with her, became the mother little Carol had so longed for.

The Millers moved to and around Alaska, eventually owning a fishing site on the Kenai Peninsula. God used their move to Alaska to begin weaving a tapestry of relationships that would draw the family to salvation and spiritual growth in Christ and then continue to inspire Carol spiritually throughout her life.

Following high school graduation, Carol and her sister, Joyce, left Alaska together to attend Northwest Nazarene College (now University), in Nampa, Idaho. There she met Eldon Rayborn, of Twin Falls, Idaho, who was majoring in education and theology. They were married on October 27, 1960, at College Church of the Nazarene by Dr. Eugene Stowe, who went on to be General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene. They lived in Nampa and Twin Falls as Eldon divided his time between helping run the family farm and completing his undergraduate studies. Carol gave birth to sons Kenneth in Twin Falls in 1962 and Kerry in Nampa in 1964.

After Eldon's graduation in 1964, the Rayborns accepted a position as associate pastor and teacher at Norwalk, California Church of the Nazarene and Christian School, concurrent with Eldon's post-graduate work at Azusa Pacific College (now University).

The Rayborns moved in 1968 to their first pastorate in Hemlock, Oregon, where Carol worked alongside her husband, calling on members and prospects, teaching teen and children's Sunday School classes, and driving the church bus.

In April 1971 the Rayborns were called to their second and final pastorate before retirement in September 2005 at the Myrtle Creek, Oregon Church of the Nazarene. During their 34-plus years at Myrtle Creek, Carol again taught teen and children's Sunday School classes and drove the church van. She also served on the Oregon Pacific District missions council for a number of years and represented the district as a delegate to the denomination's international missions convention in San Antonio, Texas, in 1997. Carol was involved in the community, too, serving with Child Evangelism Fellowship, holding Good News Clubs, and volunteering for Mercy Hospice.

People were important to her--and family was especially dear. Carol loved spending time with her kids and grandkids! She was always ready to play a game of Uno or Scrabble with them--and anyone else who happened to be around, for that matter! Her grandkids were always amazed at how she could keep track of everyone's score. She also loved putting puzzles together. They remember one time even putting together a 3-D puzzle.

One of her highlights when her grandkids came to visit in Myrtle Creek was taking a day trip to the beach. She enjoyed exploring the beach and searching for agates with them. She also loved lighthouses.

Carol was always up for a hike with her family, especially if it led to a beautiful waterfall. Even though she was tiny in stature, she would keep up with her sons. And when she visited her grandkids, she could often be found outside with them, jumping on the trampoline.

Carol fell prey to the ravages of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, spending the last four-plus years of her life under the tender and skilled care of the staff, who became "family" to her, at Chantele's Loving Touch and Memory Care in Sutherlin, Oregon.

At Chantele's, before becoming paralyzed, she continued to enjoy being around others and helping them in any way she could. Carol also lost her ability to speak, but she remained fun-loving. Sometimes when her caregivers were attending to her and least expecting it, she would somehow manage to blurt out a loud "Boo!" and laugh, leaving them not a little unnerved.

Above all, Carol kept her sweet and quiet spirit, always bringing glory to her Lord and Savior. Even during her final illness, when her mind and body failed her, people received the Lord as Savior and/or drew closer to Him because of her beautiful example of Christ-likeness. Surely one could leave no greater legacy than that!

On Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 1:16 PM, Carol, at age 74, slipped peacefully away from her earthly home in Sutherlin, Oregon to her Eternal Home with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Richard and David Miller.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Eldon; son Kenneth (Becky) Rayborn and her family, of Warren, Oklahoma; son Kerry (Tami) Rayborn, of Baker City, Oregon, and their children, Kori (Myles) Goudy and Jesse Rayborn, all of Meridian, Idaho; her sister, Joyce (Cary) Summers, of Turlock, California; and numerous nephews and nieces.

Her memorial service will be held at the Church of the Nazarene in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, where she spent nearly half of her life as pastor's wife, on Sunday, July 10, 2016, at 4 PM.

Because of her heart for missions, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church (with memo: "Carol Rayborn Memorial") for the work of Jason and Karen Courtney, Nazarene missionaries in Honduras, where her husband and several family members recently served on a Work and Witness team.