Carol Rachel Gotham

Carol Rachel Gotham, better known as Coral, age 88, passed away Thursday, December 8, 2011 at Medallion Village Adult Foster Care in Sebewaing. She was born October 24, 1923 in Unionville. Coral is the daughter of the late Fred and Amy (Parsell) Gotham.

Coral had three sisters, Illa Sherman, Sybil Jubar and Hilda Sigmund, only Sybil survives her. She was a sister, aunt and friend to many. She would carry on a conversation with anyone, even if she had never met them before.

She had a camera from the time she was a teenager and took a lot of photos. Over the years she has made a lot of albums full of her photos. Many are from the thirties and are treasured by her family. In her last few years she enjoyed taking photos of birds and sunsets. She always had her camera at family gatherings and meetings with friends.

A book of crossword puzzles was always nearby, even in her car, as she loved to solve them. Jigsaw puzzles were another pastime. Another hobby was working with plastic canvas and yarn. Several calendars, cards for graduation, weddings and birthdays were made for family and friends.

She enjoyed playing cards, especially cribbage, euchre, and solitaire. When she was in her thirties and forties, she liked to dance. In the last few years, it was baking cookies and fruit breads. The gentleman that delivered the propane gas always got cookies and anyone that came to visit got some baked treats.

Coral never married but she has extended family with three married sisters. Her nieces and nephews were nearby most of the time. Her older sister, Sybil, was her constant companion for the last twenty years. They were seen together shopping, at doctor appointments and the many meetings and parties they attended. They looked after each other on a daily basis.

The family appreciates the wonderful care Coral had while in Medallion Village Foster Care. We cannot thank them enough for the compassion they gave her. The employees loved her and cared for her with lots of tender loving care.
A special thanks to Beverly Schumacher for entertaining her with games like "Sorry" and "Yahtzee". We would also like to thank all the other friends who played euchre with her. "Aunt Coral" will be missed by all who knew her, as she made a lot of friends over her 88 years.

Visitation will be Sunday, December 11, 2011 at Juengel & Mellendorf Funeral Home, Sebewaing, from 12noon to 8pm.

The funeral service will be 11am, Monday, December 12, 2011 at the funeral home.

Burial will take place at Hickory Island Cemetery.