It is the Lord who numbers our days and eighty blessed years were granted to Carol Lynn Watne. Born August 8, 1945 near Platte, South Dakota, Carol was taken home by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 28, 2026, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Carol was the third of nine children born to Orvin and Myrtle Thompson. Since Orvin was a Lutheran minister, Carol grew up serving the Lord in church bodies and on mission fields. Her family spent time in China when Carol was a toddler and although this was a short period in Carol's life, it had a lasting impact. Her 15 grandkids called her "Ama," which is Chinese for "Grandmother."

Carol graduated from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in 1963 and then completed her Nursing degree at the University of North Dakota. At UND she met her husband of 56 years, Kim Watne. Life with an Air Force pilot was a constant adventure for Carol as they moved from base to base. Carol even lived in Okinawa as a civilian nurse during Kim's Vietnam tour. They spent the majority of their marriage in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where they raised their three children and served at University Presbyterian Church for almost 40 years. In addition to working as a school nurse, Carol made the most of those years rigorously studying and sharing God's Word with others through Bible Study Fellowship and Evangelism Explosion. As soon as their nest was empty, Kim and Carol embarked on their next adventure for the Lord by moving to Romania with Mission to the World. They learned a new language in their sixties so they could host college students in their home and tell about the good news of Jesus.

Carol's final fight of faith was with dementia. Though she couldn't tell you what year it was, she could sing along to just about every hymn ever written. "The whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'...He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out'" (Luke 19).

Carol was preceded in death by her husband in April of 2025.

She is survived by her 3 children–Jamie (Chandler, AZ), Heather (St. Louis, MO), Mark (Chattanooga, TN)--and their spouses, 15 grandchildren, 8 siblings and their spouses, and countless nieces and nephews.

What a precious life given to her by the Almighty God! All praise be to Him.

Family, friends, and acquaintances are invited to a funeral service in Chattanooga, Tennessee at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 1813 Long Street, 37408.

Carol will be buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis alongside her husband, Kim.

Please share your memories and express condolences to the family on their guestbook.