Carolyn Clay Powell Anderson peacefully passed away on Friday, August 13, 2021, at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. On March 5, 1943, she was born in Nashville to Louis Davis Powell and Eloise Clay Powell. All will remember her as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Having received her Bachelors in Elementary Education in 1965 at Middle Tennessee State, she began teaching Fourth Grade at BrookMeade in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Harry Powell Anderson, a preacher for the churches of Christ, in 1966 and moved to Lubbock, Texas. She was a devoted member of the church of Christ and worked with her husband. Because she was a teacher, she taught Ladies Bible Classes; and conducted Ladies Workshops at the Oliver Springs church of Christ in Oliver Springs, Tennessee, and Rural Hill church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee. While at Rural Hill, she founded and directed their Mother’s Day Out program, which is still in operation today. At the same time, she obtained her Masters in Education in 1984 from Middle Tennessee State University. She returned to teaching in Metro/Nashville until 1996, when they moved to Smyrna and worshiped with the Highland Heights church of Christ in Smyrna. Soon after, she began teaching a Sunday Morning Ladies Bible Class, assisted by Sarah Godsey, until 2009. Ladies at Highland still comment about her class.
After moving to Rutherford County in 1996, she was one of the first teachers at Siegel Elementary, Murfreesboro City, for ten years, retiring in 2009. During her 34 year tenure as a teacher, she taught every grade except for the Third grade. She holds an extensive resume of achievements, including being selected as Teacher of the Year for Murfreesboro City Schools, advancing to Teacher of the Year for Tennessee. In addition, she served two years as the Tennessee Ambassador for Geography, working with the National Geographic Education Association in Washington, D. C., and Sid Jumper, head of the Geography Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. As the Tennessee Geography Ambassador, she traveled more than 30,000 miles visiting every Tennessee district and nearly every school in those districts, helping teachers teach Geography in innovative ways. She was also privileged to meet the Ambassador from France and was sent to Caracas, Venezuela, to work with the American Schools for four weeks.
Carolyn was truly selfless, putting her family, friends, and others before her own needs. She loved music, traveling, and enjoying life to the fullest. She is survived by: her husband, Harry Powell Anderson; her children, Chip (Karen) Anderson, Huntingdon, Tennessee; John (Cari) Anderson, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; and Lynn Edwards, Seymour, Tennessee. She has four grandchildren, Mary Amber (Jack) Adams, Beech Grove, Tennessee; Hailey Anderson, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Craig Anderson, Huntington, Tennessee, and Sydney Anderson, Huntington, Tennessee along with three great-grandchildren Olivia Anderson, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Carlie Adams and Mattie Adams, Beech Grove, Tennessee.
If you wish, you may donate in her name to the Nicaraguan Christian School, 1490 Campbell Street, Jackson, Tennessee 37167.
Services will be at Woodfin Chapel Funeral Home, 203 N Lowry Street in Smyrna, Tennessee, visitation from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on August 18, 2021. Before the service on August 19, 2021, there will be a visitation period at 9:00 am. The service begins promptly at 10:00 am, with Bill Hunter officiating. We will also be celebrating her fifty-fifth Wedding Anniversary.
In addition, there will be a graveside service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, August 19, 2021, which will be her 55th Wedding Anniversary, at which Bill Hunter will also officiate.
