Carol Sue Mortensen

Carol Sue Mortensen was born to Charles and Irene Cronkhite on September 7, 1942 in Highland, Illinois. She grew up in Pueblo, Colorado with her brother (Gary) and sister (Sharon). She moved to Seattle and met Richard Charles Mortensen while working at Boeing. They were married in Seattle, Washington on September 2, 1963 and shortly after that moved to Kelso, Washington where both their sons were born (Rick, born on Sept. 3, 1964 and Travis, born on April 12, 1966). The family lived in Kelso until 1973 when a career change moved them to Alaska for a summer, then down to La Pine, Oregon through the following school year. In 1974, the family moved to Hoquiam, Washington where the boys finished high school while Richard continued to work in the logging industry.

As the boys finished grade school, Carol reentered the work force, working as a motel maid and finally as a waitress in several restaurants in Aberdeen, Washington. She graduated from Grays Harbor Community College with an Associate in Science degree in 1988 and went on to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where she obtained two more degrees (both Bachelor of Arts) in 1989 and 1990. Shortly after that she went to work for the State of Washington managing water rights in Yakima, Washington where she eventually retired in 2010.

Carol's life on earth as we know it ended in the early hours of January 1, 2021 and went on to meet Jesus, face to face.

While Carol was known as a daughter, wife, mother, college graduate, and a career woman, she was first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. Her life was permeated by an active prayer life, bible studies, and teaching Sunday School throughout her life in most (if not all) of the places she lived. She had (and still has) a meaningful and close relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Carol knew she was a sinner and was unable to be reconciled with God because of her sin (Romans 3:23). Romans 5:8 told Carol that God demonstrated His love for her as a sinner; Christ died for her (just as He did for everyone else who believes). She knew the wages (or consequences) of sin is death as written in Romans 6:23. That same verse also tells us God provides eternal life in Christ Jesus. She was unable to earn God's forgiveness by herself and has accepted the free gift of eternal life. Romans 8:1 says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus which means Carol has no need to be worried about her eternal future. The proof we have of where Carol's soul is can be found in Romans 10:9-10

"9: If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10: For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it

is with your mouth that you profess your faith

and are saved."

She professed with her mouth "Jesus is Lord" and lived her faith daily as she not only raised her children in the Lord but taught many other people about God and how they could be forgiven too.