Born January 1, 1937 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Harry Mertishaw Rinehart and Della Vernita (Adams) Rinehart. Carol was first baby born in 1937 in Cape Girardeau, the youngest of four children. At age 4 (1941), the family moved to California and stayed until the end of WWII then returned to Missouri.
Carol was saved at Vacation Bible School in the summer of 1945 at 8 years old. She was Baptized at age 10 at the First Assembly of God Church in Sedalia, Missouri. She attended Southwestern Bible Institute from age 15-17 at Waxahachie, Texas. She was member of Baptist and Methodist churches during her lifetime. She was happy in her service to God with her music and singing. Especially that she was still serving as pianist in her 70’s at The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Palatka, Florida.
Father was in construction and family moved every few years. Carol attended 8 schools. She completed high school in 3 years and took several college courses also. She left home at 17 and was self-supporting, living in a rented room.
She worked at several jobs from age 12:
Potato peeler in restaurant
Corn detasseler in the corn fields of Illinois Waitress in restaurant
Sales Clerk in merchandise store and in grocery story Telephone operator for Michigan Bell Telephone Company
Carol went to Business School nights and studied business typing and shorthand. She then became a bank bookkeeper, secretary, administrative assistant. She worked for Tennessee Valley Authority in Tennessee and also The University of Tennessee at Knoxville, then at Chattanooga. She retired from both places. Last retirement July 1, 1999.
Married at 18 (August 13, 1955) to David Lee Haller, a sergeant in the Army Intelligence. They had two children: David Karl Haller (1956) and Merri Analiese Haller (1958) and were later divorced. David died at age 32 of kidney disease (April 4, 1965).
Second marriage to Robert Eugene Hunt at age 26 (May 29, 1963). Bob adopted and raised her two children whose names were changed to: Robert David Hunt and Liese Marie Hunt. Bob and Carol had two daughters: Bobbi Jeane Hunt (1966) and Marlene Susette Hunt (1969). Bob died at age 73 of heart failure (November 8, 1999).
Third marriage to Billy Joe Babb at age 65 (February 14, 2002). Carol lived on Greens Road in Chattanooga, Tennessee for 25 years. Billy Joe Babb was a neighbor for six years. His girlfriend Mildred was a good friend and walking buddy until Billy retired and they moved to Florida January 2000. Mildred developed heart trouble after a year and had surgery from which she never recovered.
Billy died at age 83 of cancer (November 19, 2022).
Carol was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents George Washington Adams Jr and Maggie Ann (Giles) (Singleton) Adams, paternal grandparents James Elihu Rinehart and Mary Daisy (Denton) (Rinehart) Driver, parents Harry Mertishaw Rinehart and Della Vernita (Adams) Rinehart, sister Della Fern (Rinehart) Harbin and brother-in-law Samuel Wayne Harbin, brother Maj. William Stanley Rinehart Sr, sister Colleen Ann (Rinehart) Henderson and brother-in-law Orval Lee Henderson, niece Rebecca Lynn (Henderson) Imbeau and great-granddaughter Victoria Faith Smith.
Carol is survived by her large family who she valued above all things. At the end of any phone call, she would say “love you all” and mean it.
Son Robert David Hunt and daughter-in-law Mary Alice (Craddock) Hunt, grandson Adam Robert Hunt and his wife Andrea Lea (Godfrey) Hunt, great-grandson Aaron Skyler Hunt and his wife Fantasia Fountain, great-grandson Austin Tyler Hunt, great-grandson Ethan Michael Hunt, great-grandson Wyatt Marshall Hunt, great-granddaughter Summer Aria Hunt, granddaughter Mary Katherine (Hunt) Brown, great-grandson Josiah Milton Brown, great-grandson Carpenter Craddock Brown, great-granddaughter Sadie Eloise Brown and great-granddaughter Anna Katherine (Kate) Brown.
Daughter Liese Marie (Hunt) Sigler and son-in-law John Coleman Sigler, grandson Michael David Pritchett, great-granddaughter Melisse Kaye Pritchett, great-granddaughter Katelyn (Katie) Michelle (Pritchett) Evans and her husband Travis Brian Evans Jr, great-great-granddaughter Winter Kaye Evans, great-great-granddaughter Annabelle Marie Evans, great-grandson Michael David Pritchett II, great-great-grandson Cayson Grant Pritchett, grandson Romia Claude Pritchett II, great-grandson Alexander Michael Pritchett, great-grandson Romia Kyler Pritchett, granddaughter Meagan Christine (Pritchett) Foster and her husband Dale Ernest Hughes, great-grandson Declan Keith Foster, great-great-granddaughter Ruby Ruth Foster, great-granddaughter Hillary Noelle (Smith) Hawkes and her husband Michael Chase Hawkes, great-grandson Elijah Ray Claude Mouille, great-granddaughter Celia Maeve Hughes.
Daughter Bobbi Jeane (Hunt) (Moore) Kizziah and son-in-law James Gregory Kizziah, two step-grandchildren and their families, granddaughter Miranda Suzanne (Moore) Goulding and her husband Justin Jeremy Ober, grandson Nicholas Randall Moore and his wife Emily Lane (Butcher) Moore, great-grandson Levi James Moore and great-grandson Luke Miles Moore.
Daughter Marlene Susette Hunt, granddaughter Lauren Danielle Epps (Michael Fitzpatrick Ingham), great-grandson Theodore Robert Ingham, grandson Braden Gregory Poches.
Sister-in-law Sandra Rebecca (Smith) Rinehart and her descendants, niece Julie Carol (Harbin) Cunningham and her husband Eldon Forest Cunningham, great-nephew Samuel Henry Cook and his family, niece Lauren (Laurie) Sue (Harbin) Phillips and her husband Robert (Robb) Woodrow Phillips (two great-nephews and their families) and numerous additional nephews, nieces, their families and many descendants. Also survived by, her extended family with their many descendants.
Carol traveled the country in RVs with Bobbi and Greg from 2021 thru 2025 visiting as many of her family members as she could. Her goodbye tour! Most of 2026 until her death, she was in Knoxville TN with Hospice at home.
Carol wrote “I will be cremated. I’ve had a great life. God has been good to me. I thank Him for each day of my life and for my old age which he blessed mightily. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me, dying for me and saving me. I look forward to Glory, seeing God and Jesus, and seeing all my relatives who went before me, and the two babies I lost. I’ll see you all later, I hope. God bless all my family and friends. Holy Spirit, please speak to the hearts of those who are still lost.”
At Carol’s request, no services will be held.