Major, Carol Janette

Carol Janette (Grice) Major, 71, Bloomington, MN, died peacefully at home Tuesday, November 4th, 2014, surrounded by her children: Erik James Major of Red Bank, NJ; and Elizabeth Janette James of Edina, MN. Also present were brother George Luman Grice, and sister Leanne Louise Porch.

Carol was born March 22, 1943, to Wrenn and Evelyn Grice at the Cottage Hospital in Galesburg, Illinois. After graduating from Spoon River Valley High School in 1961, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Western Illinois University in 1965, and a Master of Arts from the University of Iowa in 1967. Carol started her teaching career at Farnham Elementary School in Galesburg, Illinois, in the fall of 1965, and was married on December 26, 1965, to James Edward Major for 25 years. After several years living in Richland Center, Wisconsin, in the early 1970’s she moved to Columbus and Worthington, Ohio. Carol taught all ages K-12, but focused on younger children and children with reading comprehension challenges, retiring in 2005 from teaching kindergarten at Indian Springs Elementary School in Columbus. She was a devout Christian, and was passionate about music, singing in the choir for many years at King Avenue and Maize Manor United Methodist Churches in Columbus.

Carol incorporated music into her life at home and with family, as well as her teaching curriculum. She was also devoted to helping others in the world: medical mission trips to Mexico; volunteering for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); promoting inclusion, non-violence, and diversity; an early adopter of recycling; and raising money for the American Cancer Society and CROP Hunger Walks, as well as donating to countless other charities regularly. Carol was also a devoted and loving mom and grandma. In her later years, she was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), and moved to Minnesota to be near her daughter and family. Carol was a kind, generous, and loving soul, and she will be missed by the many people that she touched throughout her life. Her spirit will live on in her surviving children, family and friends, and the many students that she nurtured while teaching. Carol was preceded in death by her parents and her eldest son, Mark Edward Major. She is survived and celebrated by her son, daughter, and son-in-law (David James), her brother, sister, and brother-in-law (Michael Porch), and her grandchildren Kate (Mark), Zachary and Daisy (Erik), and Carter and Eli (Elizabeth).

Three services will be held for Carol: In Minnesota on Friday, November 7th, at 10:00 AM, Founder’s Ridge Chapel, 6600 Auto Club Rd., Bloomington. In Illinois on Funeral service will be held Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 11:00 am at the London Mills United Methodist Church with visitation from 10:00 to 11:00 am at the church. Burial will be in East Midway Cemetery. In Ohio on Saturday, December 6th, at 2:00 PM, at Maize Manor United Methodist Church, 3901 Maize Rd., Columbus. Donations can be made in tribute to Carol Major for the “Carol J. Major Legacy Fund” through CurePSP at https://give.psp.org/, or go to PSP.org and click on Donate. Memorials may also be made to the London Mills United Methodist Church.

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