Obituary of Carolyn (Wooden) Prewitt

Carolyn (Wooden) Prewitt went home to be with the Lord on December 15, 2020. Carolyn was the youngest of three daughters born to Elmer and Dixie (Jacobs) Wooden of Tulsa Oklahoma. She was born on May 15, 1928 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her parents were both children of settlers in the Oklahoma panhandle near Hooker, Oklahoma. Her grandmother Ms. Jacobs, a widowed school teacher, moved to the panhandle by horse drawn wagon with two young daughters, staked a claim and settled. She then built a dugout home, started a school, and raised two daughters. One of them, Dixie was Carolyn’s mother. The farm is still held in the family. Her father Elmer Wooden graduated from high school and college with a degree in chemical engineering and went on to become the senior chemical engineer for Sinclair Oil Company. The family valued education. Carolyn attended college at Bethany Nazarene College and earned a degree in elementary education. Passionate about teaching, her whole career was in elementary education. She has many life long friends who were her teacher colleagues. Carolyn invited Christ into her life at an early age. To her following Jesus Christ was always important. Her family attended Faith Tabernacle Church pastored by Rev Bill Garvin. The Garvin family later intertwined with her own Wooden family when her older sister Frances met George “Bud” Garvin, Bill Garvin’s nephew. George and Francis married after college. Bud and Francis had two children, Leilani “Lee” (Dwigans) and Gerald “Woody” Garvin. Bud’s military career took the family to live in several communities. Eventually Francis was able to resume teaching elementary school. Her middle sister, Marsha also entered education as her trade, teaching biology and physiology to high schoolers. Marcia wrote to Joseph L Hess while he served overseas in WWII. After the war he took a bus to Tulsa to visit the Wooden family and Marsha. They were married by a circuit rider preacher. They raised three daughters and a son. All of Carolyn’s extended family, sisters, brother-in-laws, nieces and nephews, enjoyed visits to the Wooden family home in Tulsa and the nearby family cabin at Yonkipin Lake. Carolyn later married Tilford W. Prewitt also of Tulsa. They lived together in the family home until he passed in 1986. Her spiritual roots at Faith Tabernacle led Carolyn eventually to Evangelistic Temple, now Spirit-Life Church. Rev. Norman Wilkie was her pastor and long term friend. At Evangelistic Temple Carolyn was active leading a large “Share Group,” which she shepherded. She visited in hospitals. When people needed help Carolyn was there. If they needed food Carolyn was there. She was active in Golden Fellowship a fellowship group of retired people. Carolyn loved to travel. With her parents, Carolyn traveled to Naples Italy in the summer of 1956. They were hosted by her sister Francis and Bud Garvin. Together for over a month and by car they traveled through much of Europe; Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, England, and France. On weekends they traveled to villages and storied cities of Italy; Florence, Rome, and Sienna. Carolyn again joined Frances and bud for a trip to Australia and new Zealand, traveling in a motorhome. She journeyed to Alaska in 2001. She joined a pilgrims group from Evangelistic Temple for several trips to the Holy Land. She loved all her travel, but especially the tour of the Holy Lands where travel and faith were joined. Carolyn firmly believed in recent years that “God wasn’t finished with her yet.” She sensed there remained a purpose to be fulfilled. That spiritual calling become clear to her in 2020. Tulsa was approaching the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre; the Tulsa Race Riot. Her father drove into the Greenwood neighborhood, where the massacre was occurring, gathered up “Lola” the family housekeeper, took her to their home, where she was protected. While unfolding, the family peeked through the closed blinds as truck loads of bodies were being driven past and taken to mass graves. This past year, Carolyn gave a personal public “witness” to this as the Tulsa community was seeking to redress this horrific event. Her witness was televised in Tulsa, and referenced throughout the country including The New York Times. Carolyn felt this to be a God given task and responsibility. With this, her God given callings were complete. Carolyn was preceded in death by both of her sisters, Francis Garvin (age 85) and Marsha Hess (age 80). Early faith roots led all the three sisters in life long love of the Lord. She is survived by nephews G. Woody Garvin of Spokane Washington, Joe Leonard Hess of Hawthorne Florida, and Francis Ruth Camron, Rogers Arkansas. From her early childhood, when she first heard stories from her grandmother claim-staking in the Oklahoma panhandle, to the present, when COVID ended her life, Carolyn was God’s child from beginning to end. Her family sends special appreciation to the good neighbors who kept an eye out for her, to those friends who gave her personal help as she lived independently until the end. The dedicated staffs of University Village Skilled Nursing facility and St. John’s Hospital doctors and nurses are greatly thanked. A private memorial service was held in her honor. Her Lord has now welcomed her to her eternal home; “Well done good and faithful servant.”