CAROL ANN AUSTIN
 
Carol Ann Austin, 59, of St. Charles, died August 30 at Delnor-
Community Hospital, where she was taken following an apparent heart
attack at her home.
 
Seeming to pass in a moment from the loving hands of her daughter to
the loving arms of her Savior, she was released from her last labored
breath here to the freedom of her first breath in Heaven.
 
She was born July 6, 1939, at Weeksbury, Ky., the daughter of Willie
and Stella Mae (Daniels) Lackey.
 
Her family made their home in nearby Paintsville, Ky., where Carol
attended Mead Memorial schools.
 
On March 3, 1956, she married Frank Austin in Wabash, Ind. Frank
brought Carol to Chicago, where they made their home until 1963, when
they moved to North Lake. In 1979, they moved to Addison and then to
St. Charles in 1988. She worked at McDonald's in St. Charles for a
short time in 1994, and in earlier years she was employed at Automatic
Electric in North Lake and Montgomery Wards in Addison as a retail
clerk. Through the years, her life was her family and her "career" was
her devotion as a wife, mother and homemaker. So it came to pass, her
family's devotion made Carol's life bearable as she began to suffer the
advancing demands of Cardio Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. She had a
special talent for crafts, especially making grapevine wreath
decorations. She had a great love for cooking and baking, and spent her
summers gardening and then canning the vegetables that she grew. She
was a member of the Country Covenant Church, where she taught Sunday
school and participated in the Women's Bible Study.
 
She is survived by three daughters, Cheryl (Richard) Keogh of Glendale
Heights, Janice Hughes of St. Charles and Lisa (Todd) Roesner of
Batavia; her fiancee, Marvin Ness of Elk Grove Village; her mother,
Stella Lackey of Paintsville, Ky.; seven grandchildren, Jason and Jesse
Keogh, Ryan, Danny, Timothy and Sean Hughes, and Cassandra Ann Roesner;
five sisters, Lorraine (Milton) Crites of Columbus, Ohio, Cassie Ward
of Paintsville, Ky., Marietta (Howard) Music of Hager Hill, Ky.,
Marlene Mays of Omaha, Neb. and Barbara (Ronnie) Branham of North
Manchester, Ind.; four brothers, Willie "JR" Lackey of Texas, Thomas
(Clotene) Lackey of Paintsville, Ky., Charles "Doug" (Ruth) Lackey of
Paintsville, Ky. and Danny (Eileene) Lackey of Paintsville, Ky.
 
She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and
nephews.
 
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Austin, in 1994; her
son, Harold Austin, in 1984; and her father, Willie Lackey.
 
Funeral services will be held September 3 at 11 a.m. with the Rev.
Harry Ekstam, associate pastor of the County Covenant Church, Elgin,
officiating.
 
Burial will follow at Blackberry Cemetery in Elburn.