Cover photo for Carolyn Pentecost Younts's Obituary
Carolyn Pentecost Younts Profile Photo

Carolyn Pentecost Younts

June 13, 1933 — September 30, 2022

Martha Carolyn Pentecost Younts was born on June 13, 1933 to Edgar Jackson Pentecost and to Onnie Bowman Pentecost into a prominent philanthropic family. She died on September 30, 2022 at Athens Regional Hospital.

She was raised on the family cotton farm and attended Old Pentecost Methodist Church which founded by her Revolutionary War ancestor, William Pentecost. Her family church helped to found the New Pentecost Methodist Church, and the Nazareth Methodist Church. Her grandfather gave the land for the Davidson Masonic Lodge on Pleasant Hill Church Road in Winder. In addition her uncle John Rich Pentecost was the first man killed from Barrow County in World War I, thus the American Legion Post Number 53 was named in his honor which was located in Winder. Her mother was a Bowman and her family had a mill on the road thus the road was named Bowman Mill on which she lived on. She attended Cook’ two room school which was built with lumber that came off her father’s and relatives land. In 1940, her mother died prematurely and her father, Edgar married Alma Miller. Alma Miller Pentecost taught 30 years at the Statham Elementary School. In 1950 Carolyn found the Methodist Women group at Pentecost Methodist Church. Later she finished Statham High school in 1950 where she was valedictorian. Her mother, Onnie, was valedictorian of her high school in Morgan County as well. Onnie came from the city of Buckhead, Ga in Morgan County where Carolyn spent many summers visiting her relatives. Next she advanced to Young Harris College where she worked her way thru in two years in the lunchroom before graduating in 1952. Next she went to Franklin College of Arts and Science in Athens (UGA) where she finished in 1954. She commenced her theological education at Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. She graduated in 1957 as one of the first women from the seminary in 1957, and was influenced positively by the Dean Bernhard Anderson, and his class on the Old Testament. She was the first woman called into ministry from the Old Pentecost Methodist Church. Her first job was being the traveling secretary for the Methodist women group in New Hampshire. Next she went to help Rev. Carroll Doggett start a new and very successful Methodist church in Baltimore, Maryland, Loch Raven Methodist Church, where she knocked on doors of new built houses to recruit members. Her next professional move was to Winston Salem, North Carolina where she revitalized the Wesley Foundation for Methodist students at a Women’s College, Salem College. At one of the meetings of campus ministers in North Carolina she met Bob Younts. Bob was the founder of the Wake Forest Wesley Foundation student group for Methodist students. They fell in love, and married in 1961 in Greensboro, N.C. Then they moved to Columbia, Missouri, in 1962 where Bob became the minister to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Missouri in Columbia. There in Columbia, their first born son, John, arrived in 1963. In 1965 they moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Bob served the Wellington Park Methodist Church while he attended Chicago Theological Seminary. While in Chicago, their second son, George, was born in 1967. Next they moved to a college town, Shimer College in Mount Carroll, Illinois close to the Mississippi River in 1968. In Mount Carroll, Bob served the Mount Carroll Methodist Church. The next move in 1971 was east to Lake Villa, Illinois where she served as a Cub Scout Den mother and Boy Scout leader. As Bob as pastor at Lake Villa United Methodist Church, and Carolyn offering strong and supportive leadership they took a church off mission aid and made it financially independent. One of their notable successes was starting a Boy Scout troop which became very successful with its advancement of its scouts. Next in 1979, they moved west to Freeport, Illinois where Bob served at Freeport First where the church grew greatly. There she saw both sons graduate from Freeport Senior High, home of the Pretzels. Furthermore she saw both sons become Eagle Scouts and both graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University. She moved back into active ministry, serving as a Chaplain at Rockford Memorial Hospital in Rockford, Illinois and at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Her next step was to serve these following churches, Ridott, Pearl City, and Zion in the Stephenson County, Illinois area. She appreciated the strong leadership of many in the dairy farming community who were successful in helping her strengthen those churches. She was a bridge builder relating well to them from her rural background as the daughter of a cotton farmer. Since the bulk of their careers was serving churches along the Illinois and Wisconsin Stateline over 21 years. She and Bob also enjoyed their weekly Mondays off; they enjoyed Monroe, GA, the Cheese Capitol of the USA, among other interesting sites in Wisconsin. Next they moved to Park Forest, Illinois in 1989 where Bob served the Park Forest Church, and Carolyn served in Manhattan and in Green Garden Churches. Both she and Bob being located in the ultra competitive theological environment of Chicago which has most theological seminaries than other American metropolitan areas, knew it was paramount to be constantly updated of current theological trends. Consequently they were founders of the Western Northern Illinois Theological Study Group, which studied and present papers on theological works. She also served on the board of the United Methodist Ministers Credit union based in Bloomington, Illinois. She was part of a positive stabilization of the Credit Union during a stormy time period. Next back to their native South in 1994, Bob served as executive director of the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta, and Carolyn served at Kennesaw Methodist as associate in 1995. Once retirement beckoned in 1997, Carolyn returned to Winder and became involved with the First United Methodist Church of Winder and taught many classes herself. She also became a member of the Sunbury Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution, where she helped to resurrect the chapter with others increasing membership, thus insuring its continuance. Furthermore, she with her son, George, raised money to repair Watson Hall in Winder, Georgia. In retirement she and Bob started another Theological Discussion Group, like they participated in the Northern Illinois Conference in 2005. She enjoyed her garden, and her abundance of house plants, and being an active reader and observer of the political scene. Whenever she lived throughout her career, she would always plant her tulips and other flowers. She felt that her role was to leave the place better than she found it. She knew as a daughter of a farmer, that one was to leave a positive legacy for others to enjoy, be a flower, or a tree for others to enjoy. She enjoyed wildlife; she was a fan of the Horicon Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, where she enjoyed the massive display of the Canadian geese mitigation movements. Another hobby was woodcarving. She and Bob were active members of the Retired Clergy Group of the Athens Elberton District. She was humble, hardworking and had a great sense of humor. Her book on the history of Old Pentecost Methodist Church will be published posthumously. She was a trailblazer, frequently being the first woman in many of the professional roles that she served.

She leaves behind her son, George of Charleston, S.C. and John of Winder, GA. Additional relatives are Karen and Phil Lord of Bogart, Ga, Nanette Campbell of Marietta, Ga, Olevia Pentecost Thrasher of Tucker, Ga. Lisa and Bill Prather of Winder, Ga, and Worth Younts of Durham, N.C.

To close, the family also wants to thank both Joe Holt, and Jenny Mitchell for their kindness in assisting the family during Carolyn’s later years. In addition, Doctor Rigsby, Oconee Physical Therapy, and Farmer’s Pharmacy in Winder are to be thanked for their positive contributions with Carolyn’s physical concerns. Furthermore, we, the family, appreciate many persons in Winder Methodist Church congregation for their care and compassion to the family in Carolyn’s and as well as in her recently deceased husband, Bob periods of challenging health.

The visitation service will be held at Carter’s Funeral Home in Winder, GA, Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 5-7 pm., the Funeral Service will be at 2:00 pm. in the Sanctuary of Winder First United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 9, 2022. The gravesite service will be immediately afterwards at Pentecost United Methodist Church on Pentecost Church Road in Winder, Ga.

Memorials can be made in her honor to the Buckhead City Cemetery Fund in care of the Buckhead City Hall at P.O. Box 38, Buckhead, Georgia 30625-0038 and to the Pentecost United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund at P.O. Box 46, Winder, Ga 30680. Carolyn started the Cemetery Fund at the Old Pentecost Church.

To God, Be The Glory.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder, is entrusted with the arrangements.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Carolyn Pentecost Younts, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Saturday, October 8, 2022

5:00 - 7:00 pm (Eastern time)

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In State

Sunday, October 9, 2022

1:00 - 2:00 pm (Eastern time)

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Winder First United Methodist Church

280 North Broad Street
Winder, GA 30680

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Funeral Service

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern time)

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Winder First United Methodist Church

280 North Broad Street
Winder, GA 30680

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Burial

Sunday, October 9, 2022

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Pentecost United Methodist Church Cemetery

1055 Georgia 82
Winder, GA 30680

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