Carolyn Witt Poore

Carolyn Poore was born Carolyn Witt on June 20, 1944, in Pine Mountain, Kentucky, to Anna Rose and Roy Witt. She and her younger brother Jimmy Lee Ferguson were raised on a farm by her maternal grandparents, Hiram and Ida Bell Turner, whom she always referred to with deep affection as “Granny and Pap”. She also considered that farm as “home” and whenever traveling on vacation to visit always referred to the trip as “going home”.

She grew up on a small farm in Big Laurel, Kentucky, where life was simple, yet rich in meaning. Mom often shared stories of her childhood—how they had no electricity or running water yet never felt lacking in anything that truly mattered. As children, they spent their days exploring the creek, riding horses, working the farm, and finding joy in every moment after finishing chores. Those early years were some of the most treasured memories of her life.

Raised as a Southern Baptist, Mom held a deep and unwavering faith. If you’ve ever met a Southern Baptist, you know they’re not shy about Jesus—and neither was she. She carried her strong beliefs with pride and never hesitated to share them, along with her opinions on just about anything else.

While working as a waitress in Ohio, she met her husband, Clayton. They were married on May 15, 1965, and started their life together in the small town of Piqua, Ohio. In February of 1966 they welcomed their first son Michael. In November of 1970, after buying their first house, their second son, Scott, was born.

During that time, she worked as a telephone operator for Ohio Bell in Piqua. After a promotion she went on to work in a larger call center in Dayton, a 40 mile drive one way every day. This was the type of operator back in the day when you could dial “0” and a real person on the other end would help connect your call or find you a phone number or help with things like collect calls. We lived in Piqua until August 1978. There were two blizzards and very intense cold winters in ‘77 and ’78. She and Clayton were determined to pack up and head south to a warmer climate and settled on Irving Texas where one of her cousins she grew up with lived.

In the summer of 1979, the family moved again, this time to Portland, Oregon, which would become home. Soon after, she started working at Northwest Natural Gas, where she would remain for the next 28 years. She worked for over 15 years as a PBX operator and then another 12 as a dispatcher before her retirement. She was very active in her work community working as a union steward and a volunteer for company charitable events.

In 2000, she welcomed her first grandchild Katelyn. Becoming a grandmother was a pivotal change in her life. She adored her grandchildren, welcoming four more over the next six years- Kristen and Carson in 2002, Jake in 2003, and Ryan in 2006. She was a regular volunteer at their schools for special events and always made being a part of their lives a priority.

In 2018, she began to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which eventually resulted in her admittance to a memory care facility. Over time she would lose more and more of her cognition but almost up to the end she could still respond in some part to her grandchildren when they’d visit. This is a testament to her connection to them.

Carolyn lost her battle with Alzheimer’s and went to be with the Lord on March 20, 2025. She is survived by her husband Clayton, sons Michael and Scott, her five grandchildren, and her brother Jimmy Lee.

Fun Things About Her

Mom was all about family. She adored her children and absolutely doted on her grandchildren—unapologetically and with her whole heart.

Holidays were always special. At Christmas, each grandchild had their own unique wrapping paper so their gifts would be easy to find under the tree. (Because there were so many.) It became a fun tradition. Halloween and Christmas were her favorites—she would set up ceramic village displays, lights, and decorations all around the house. She liked to go all out for Easter. She would always take the girls when they were young to buy new Easter dresses. Every year she prepared a big Easter dinner and always had huge baskets full of candies for the grandkids.

She was a social person. She’d get to know her neighbors and was a regular participant in neighborhood events. Even when in the Alzheimer’s facility, the staff talked about how she was quick to participate in activities and how enjoyable and fun she was.

She loved puzzles and could spend hours piecing them together. At the local community center near her home, she enjoyed many afternoons working on puzzles with friends and neighbors.

She was a huge fan of Elvis and country music. She loved all his music and movies and would regularly walk around the house singing his songs or a country song she’d heard on the radio.

She was an avid collector of Barbie dolls, with a special love for the Christmas editions. At one point, she had over 50 Barbies in her collection.

She loved all things Marilyn Monroe. She would always talk about how beautiful and talented she was.

One of her favorite pastimes was shopping. She’d often take her daughter in laws or grandkids to the mall, not just to shop but to spend quality time together just taking in the shops.

She loved gardening. Specifically flower gardening. Roses were one of her favorites. She spent every spring and summer planting and tending to her flowers. The yard was always full of color.

She was also very active at her church and attended every Sunday until her health made it impossible for her to go. She was a strong woman of God.

Visitation will be Saturday (Aug. 23) from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm at the Anderson-Laws & Jones Funeral Home. 

Celebration of Life services will start at 2:00 pm in the Chapel of the Anderson - Laws  & Jones Funeral Home.

Burial will follow in the Turner Cemetery at Big Laurel, KY. 

Please feel free to leave a condolence or memory at www.aljfh.com

Carolyn Witt Poore and her family are in the care of the Anderson-Laws & Jones Funeral Home of Harlan.