Carol Elaine (Kendrick) Patterson, 71, of Warrensburg, died Tuesday, June 12, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Funeral services were held 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg, with Reverend Paul Husong officiating.

Interment followed the service in Warrensburg Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Eugene Bentley, Carson Bolyard, Michael Kendrick, Gary Kendrick, Nathan Keys and L.T. Howard. Honorary pallbearers include her grandchildren, Olivia Tweedie, Lonnie Kendrick, Steven Kendrick, Katrina Coggin, Krysta Coggin, Kyle Coggin, Macy Keys and Clayton Keys.

Family greeted friends from 1 p.m. until service time Sunday at the chapel.

Carol was born March 10, 1947, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Thomas Courtney Jr. and Grace (Watson) Courtney.

Carol married Lonnie Ray Kendrick on May 23, 1965, and they were married for 26 years. At Lonnie’s departure from this earth, Carol was one of the lucky few to find love again, and she married Marvin Lloyd Patterson on July 15, 1994.

Carol was a nurse for 33 years, where she worked at Johnson County Care Center. Carol loved her job and the people she worked with. She loved all her patients. They were fortunate to have her by their side. It would break her heart when they passed, and she would cry for days over them. When asked why she didn’t go to school to become an RN, she simply stated, “I like what I do.” Carol received several awards for the work she did there.

After retiring from nursing, Carol enjoyed being a real estate agent with her son, Tony, at Fireside Realty. She loved going to work and spending the day with Tony. She kept everybody in line at that office from the renters paying their rent on time to making sure the agents were doing their job, including the “boss,” while she played solitaire on the computer most of the day. She retired after 10 years.

Carol did not know a stranger. She was not afraid to talk to people, and you always knew where you stood with her. She became known as “mom” to countless friends and coworkers over the years, and would help anybody who asked. She sometimes would help even if they didn’t ask. She just had a knack for knowing when people needed help.

Before Carol’s health issues set in, she loved be outdoors and staying active. She would fish for crappie and catfish, and enjoyed mushroom hunting most of her life. Marvin taught her to play golf, which she enjoyed immensely. What she looked forward to the most was the “date nights” that she and Marvin would have each and every Saturday night.

Family was very important to Carol. Her boys, Tony and Steve, were the light of her life and she would do anything for them. She was brokenhearted after Steve died, but was lucky to have Tony and Marvin by her side to help her through the tragedy. She never did get over the loss of her child, but she was able to concentrate on the rest of her family to help relieve some of the pain.

She loved her grand-kids dearly and always knew what was going on with them. If she did not like something, she was sure to voice her opinion to them, and they usually listened. She was ecstatic when her grandson, Lonnie, was born on her birthday.

They celebrated their day together every year, except one. She would choose the dinner and he would pick the cake. It was a tradition. She did not forget any of the birthdays in the family. The first phone call you got on your birthday would be from her singing happy birthday. Everybody would make fun of her for this, but in reality if that call did not come, we would have been upset.

Carol had lots of dogs over the years and loved them all. Her current dog, Bella, would not even eat when Carol was away from her for any period of time. She loved her horse, Toto and cried for days when they had to sell him. Carol loved watching the Royals and would yell at the players in the TV even though they could not hear her. She would yell at them, whether they did good or bad. The biggest love of her life, besides family, was Elvis Presley. Tony said that he remembers her crying for a month when Elvis died.

She would just start crying and just say, “Elvis died” when asked why she was crying. She loved him and collected his things until the day she died. Carol loved life. She lived for her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was loved and admired by all her knew her. In her passing, she was with her family who made sure she was not alone, and was able to go peacefully to
heaven.

Survivors include her husband of nearly 24 years, Marvin Patterson, of Warrensburg; son, Tony Kendrick, wife, Ronda, of Warrensburg; their children, Olivia Tweedie, Lonnie Kendrick, Steven Kendrick, Cody Kendrick; and their children, Noah Knott, Ryleigh Knott, Lucas Kendrick, and Lainee Tweedie; step-daughter, Teresa Howard, husband, L.T. of Warrensburg; and their children, Katrina Coggin, Krysta Coggin, and Kyle Coggin; step-daughter, Shelly Keys, husband, Nathan, of Centerview; and their children, Macy Keys and Clayton Keys; sister, Donna Courtney Fetterolf husband, Jim, of Lee’s Summit; sister, Janet Berry, special friend, Tommy, of Ballard; and several nieces and nephews.

Carol was preceded in death by her first husband, Lonnie Kendrick; son, Steven Kendrick; parents, Thomas and Grace Courtney; and sister, Judy Sielman.

Contributions can be made to the Carol Patterson Memorial Fund. Checks can be made payable to Marvin Patterson and can be left in care of the funeral home.