Carolyn King, 84

Carolyn J. King, age 84, formerly of Colon, passed away Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, at Amber Way in Kalamazoo.
Carolyn was born June 14, 1935, in Detroit, to the late James and Della (Gustafson) Merrifield. She lived most of her life in Colon, graduating from Colon High School with the class of 1953. She then continued her education at The University of Michigan, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 1957.
On December 28,1956 she married Allan F. King in Colon.
Carolyn worked as a Registered Nurse in Ann Arbor and, later in her career, as a nursing instructor at Glenn Oaks Community College and Kellogg Community College. She also spent many happy years working for Davis and Davis Insurance in Colon. In her free time, she enjoyed quilting, golfing and cooking. Carolyn was a longtime member of Colon 500 Card Club and the Colon Bridge Club.
For most of her life, Carolyn was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Colon, where she served on the alter guild. After she and Al moved to Lake Templene, they joined Messiah Lutheran Church in Constantine.
Carolyn is survived by her husband, Allan King of Kalamazoo, and her three children, Steven King of Grand Junction, Colo., Barbara (Tom) Welke of Benton Harbor and Charlotte (Loren) Thompson of Annapolis, Md. She has eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Along with her parents, Carolyn was preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law, Florence and Carl Drumhiller Jr.
The family will receive relatives and friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Schipper Funeral Home in Colon. A funeral service celebrating the life of Carolyn will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, 2019, at the funeral home, with Pastor Dennis Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Lakeside Cemetery in Colon.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you honor Carolyn with memorials to The Memory Care Learning Center, in care of The Heritage Community of Kalamazoo Foundation, 2400 Portage St., Kalamazoo, MI 49001.