Holliday, Carol

Carol Holliday - age: 85
(March 06, 1924 to December 08, 2009 )
Resident of Ukiah, California

Obituary:
Carol Holliday
March 6, 1924 – December 8, 2009

Carol had been combating cancer but passed sooner than anticipated. A loving mother, she will be greatly missed. Her only child, son Ronald W. Stafford, was with her when she chose to join her mother Erma Brockway and cherished sister Arlene Hansen whom she greatly missed.
Carol began her life in San Luis Obispo, California, just before the Great Depression era. As happened with many families in those times, economic reasons caused them to move to wherever the next job was. Carol lived with various family members and friends up and down the coast of California, sometimes with her siblings, sometimes as the only child. In the 1940s she worked with her sister and father selling refreshments at the Bay Cities Stock Car Racetrack in Oakland; they shared a lifelong passion for this sport.
As a young woman during WWII, Carol was briefly married to Carroll Hanson of Minnesota. Her son was born at the end of the war. In 1950, Carol met and married Frank D. Stafford and worked as a medical secretary in Hayward at that time. In 1964, the Stafford family moved to Redwood Valley, where she worked as an executive secretary for many years at Masonite. She finally retired from a part-time position with the Board of Realtors in 1987. After her marriage to Stafford ended in 1971, Carol met and married the love of her life, Clair H. Holliday of Talmage. After the death of Clair in 1988, Carol became reacquainted with an old friend, Vince Watson, whom she married in 1989. Vince passed in 2006.
Carol was preceded in death by her father George A. Johnson of Martinez, her mother Erma Brockway of Ukiah, her much loved older sister Arlene Hansen of Sonoma, and brother S. Allan Johnson previously of Redwood Valley, who spent his later years in Boulder, Colorado.
Carol is survived by her son Ronald W. Stafford and his wife Charlotte Stafford of Ukiah; twin grandsons Emery Stafford of Santa Barbara and Dustin Stafford and his family including her great grandson Evan F. Stafford of Ukiah; her step-daughter Debra Goode from the marriage to Stafford is now living in Thailand. First cousin Doris P. Lewis, 94, of Las Vegas, Nevada, is Carol’s last living relative of their generation. Carol will be missed by the families of her nephew, Michael Johnson of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; and her nieces Carol Lee Hansen of Santa Rosa; Merryanne Johnson of Salt Lake City, Utah; Gwen Palmer of Luck, Wisconsin; Peggy Anderson of Boulder, Colorado; and Janet Butler of Manchester, England.
Carol enjoyed the last years of her life, traveling and seeing the coast of America on holiday cruises. She made many friends and will be missed by them and numerous extended family members in whose hearts Carol will remain as she was a truly colorful and much loved personality.
Carol will be cremated by Eversole Mortuary and her ashes inurned with Clair Holliday. At her request, there will be no formal funeral, but the family will hold a private wake at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be given to Hospice of Ukiah, who supported her during her illness.