In Loving Memory of Mrs. Carolyn T. Howard

December 28, 1948 – September 22, 2025
“A life spent in service, a heart full of compassion.”

Funeral services for Mrs. Carolyn T. Howard, age 77, of the Worley Loop Community in Overton County, will be held Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 12:00 noon from the chapel of Speck Funeral Home with honors provided by the Tennessee Nurses Honor Guard, a fitting tribute to a woman who devoted her life to the care of others. Bro. Timmy Ray will officiate the funeral. The family will welcome friends for visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services.

Burial will follow at Red Hill Cemetery in Monroe.

A Life of Service and Strength

Mrs. Carolyn passed peacefully on Monday, September 22, 2025, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 28, 1947, she was the daughter of the late James Gordan Edens and Lena Marie Grabaum Edens.

Carolyn answered a calling early in life — the call to heal. In 1965, she graduated with her nursing degree from Metro General Hospital in Nashville, beginning what would become a remarkable 40-year career as a registered nurse. Through long hours, tireless shifts, and countless patients, Carolyn worked with skillful hands and a servant’s heart. She cared deeply, worked humbly, and gave endlessly. Whether in hospital rooms, clinics, or beside a patient’s bed, she was a quiet force of strength and compassion.

Her legacy as a caregiver is immeasurable, and her impact lives on in every life she touched.

A Devoted Wife, Mother, and Grandmother

In 1973, Carolyn married the love of her life, MD Howard. Together, they built a life grounded in love, hard work, and family. She was a devoted wife, a nurturing mother, and a proud grandmother — always putting her family first, even after a long day on her feet.

She is survived by:

Her loving husband: MD Howard of Monroe, TN

Son: Donald Howard and wife Janis, of McMinnville, TN

Daughter: Christie Bull, of Livingston, TN

Grandchildren: Darbie Bull, Andy Howard, and Marty Bull

Great-grandchildren: Destiny Bull, Kylee Bull, Mateo Howard

Great-great-grandchild: Carolina Castillo

Brother: William "Bill" Edens and wife Linda, of Monroe, TN

She was preceded in death by:

Her parents: James and Lena Edens

Her sisters: Terri Palk and infant Diane Edens

Her son-in-law: Ronnie Bull

Honored to serve as pallbearers:
Matt Melton, Mitch Melton, Phillip Young, Steve Deimel, Tristan Brown, and Cameron Brown

Her Legacy

Carolyn T. Howard lived a life defined by dedication — to her patients, her profession, and most of all, her family. She embodied the very best of what it means to be a nurse: courage, compassion, strength, and grace. She will be deeply missed but forever remembered by those who knew her, loved her, and were cared for by her healing hands.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived — this is to have succeeded."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson