Carol Elaine (Farris) Johnson, 79, of Sioux City, passed away October 6, 2018 following a brief illness. Per her wishes, she has been cremated and private family services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service of Sioux City.

Carol was born on July 18, 1939 in Monona County, Iowa to Edward and Isabel Farris and spent a majority of her life in Sioux City. She graduated from Leeds High School and Western Iowa Tech Community College.

During her final days, Carol's family gathered at her side to comfort her and share memories of a woman with a unique, energetic, and thoughtful spirit.  The family recalled her triumphs and her struggles; her strength and intelligence, her kindness to all creatures big and small, and her raucous, witty sense of humor.

Carol wore many hats during her lifetime and made her family extremely proud in the process. She was an advocate for women's and human rights, an animal lover who not only adopted strays but made sure they received the medical care they needed, the first female security crew chief at IBP, a real estate agent, a whistleblower, a nurse, and a campaign worker. She was a single mother who raised her three daughters to be strong human beings and to care for others, even those people (and animals) they would never meet. She was a woman who grew up being told she would probably never marry or have children.  She was told that anyone who hired her was merely being kind. She was a woman who refused to believe the naysayers, a woman who never let her disability get in her way.

Carol displayed a rare ability to laugh at herself and even more rare ability to enjoy her family's ability to laugh at her, too. The family will cling to our "Carol Stories" for years to come, and those memories will be our comfort.

She is survived by her daughters, Robin (Glen) Hendershot of Bloomington, Indiana, Rebecca (Bill Atwood) McFarland of Sioux City, and Melody Bentson of Sioux City; sister, Doris Stamps; brother, Eugene Farris; ten much loved grandchildren; and many great grandchildren. She is also survived by her feline friend (whose name is Bernie Sanders) and lots of neighborhood children who called her friend, including and especially Gracie Stohl, who loved her dearly.

Family services will be held at a later date. Local family and friends who wish to pay tribute to Carol, may do so by thinking of her while casting their ballots for Rita DeJong and JD Scholten, the candidates for whom she had been working prior to her death.