Carolann (McKeefer) Pulley

Carolann McKeefer (Trent, Armstrong) Pulley, daughter of Harold and Jeanette McKeefer, was born April 28th, 1943. Her family lost her tragically in a car accident on June 28th, 2021.

Carolann married Rolla Trent in November 1963. They did not remain married, but continued a lifelong friendship in which they cared for each other and raised their four surviving daughters Janis (Kurt Wilson) Cornett, Julia (Scott) Rogers, Emilie (Amanda) Trent, and Lori (Scott) Bauer of Amboy and Converse.

She married Ray Armstrong in 1988 and was widowed after 15 years. She then married Thomas Pulley in 2003 and gained surviving step-sons Dale (Kristi) Pulley, and Pat (Jackie) Pulley whom she loved dearly. Tom also preceded her in death in 2016.

Carolann was raised in a farming family. She grew up helping in the gardens, harvesting, and preserving. She maintained her passion for this throughout her life going on to run Pulley Produce with her late husband Tom. We are exceptionally fortunate that she passed her knowledge and homesteading skills onto her daughters and grandchildren. She was a lifelong member of Amboy Friends Church. She was a Mother Advisor of the Rainbow Girls and a member of The Order of The Eastern Star in Converse. Carolann attended Ball State University and Marian College. She found her niche in cosmetology. She graduated from Wrights Beauty College, and went on to own her own beauty school the Marion Co-Ed College of Cosmetology. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to own her salons and have a long career as a beautician for more than forty years. Her variety of occupational talent and experience was amazing, even driving a semi with late husband Ray at one point in her life.

She developed her love of baking and sewing early participating in 4-H as a child and bringing home many ribbons and awards. Her homemade cinnamon rolls will be missed at Christmas and the quilts she made are treasured gifts for the ones she loved so much. Carolann grew up singing in church, and played the French horn. She loved music and especially the classic country we all knew would be playing in her car. She was a member of the local Farm Club for many years. Carolann loved to travel and experience the world going on cruises, and taking trips around the US. Her love of style, fine fashion, and beautiful jewelry enhanced her bubbly smile and unmistakable laugh making her a bright light of joy to whoever she met. She loved her flowers and her gardens but never as much as we loved her.

Carolann's greatest accomplishment was her family. She loved them fiercely and they will be lost without her. Her kindness and generosity allowed her to embrace so many looking for family as her own. A lesson her children are proud to continue as her legacy. Knowing there can never be enough family to celebrate she went on a mission to find her birth relatives and completed that cycle in her life by finding her extended Cooper family in 2019. This brought her immense joy.

Along with all her children Carolann is survived by sister Sara Lou McKeefer, 27 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and many loved nieces, nephews, and cousins, and dear friends of the family. She was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Jeanette, her brother Ronald, and husbands Tom and Ray.

With special love for beloved companion Steve Armfield who remains fighting for his life at the time this was written.

A service celebrating the life of Carolann Pulley will be held on Friday, July 9, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the Amboy Friends Church, 110 E. Pennsylvania St., Amboy with Pastor Roy Jones officiating. Burial will be in Park Lawn Cemetery. Family and friends will gather from 2-7:00 PM on Thursday, July 8, 2021 at Amboy Friends Church.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made through the Laird-Eddy Funeral Home to the Amboy Fire Department.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Laird-Eddy Funeral Home, 201 N. Main St., Amboy.

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