January 5, 2024
Mrs. Carolyn Bain Braswell, age 76 of Smithville, passed away Thursday evening at St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. She was a faithful member of the Faith Tabernacle Church of the Pentecost. She served as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader, and foremost 1st Lady and co-founder of Faith Tabernacle Church of Pentecost. Carolyn was a wonderful southern cook and shared her passion of cooking as an employee with L.B.J. & C. HeadStart Centers located in Smithville and the Midway community, Rock Island, TN for 30 years. After retiring she returned to work in the Warren County School System Nutrition Department at Hickory Creek Elementary School and Dibrell Elementary School for 15 years. Mostly, she loved her Lord and served him with all her might. Her greatest accomplishment was her 4 children that she loved but also a mother to so many who regarded her the title of mother. Carolyn loved to garden. She grew the best vegetable gardens along with beautiful flower gardens this side of Heaven. Her green thumb was known to many as she supplied numerous friends with irises, peonies, roses and her famous ornamental banana trees.
Carolyn was born on August 18, 1947 in DeKalb County, TN. Her parents were Buddy Sam & Esta Mae Davis Bain both whom preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by 4 brothers, James, Turney, Buddy Jr., & Jerry Bain, 3 sisters, Trudy Brown Bain, Henrietta Estes and Rachel Taylor.
Visitation with the Braswell family will be on Sunday from 1:00 to 8:00 pm and on Monday 9:00 am until the service at 1:00 pm in the chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Dr., Rev. Carroll Lawson and Bro. Jason Nunley will officiate and burial will follow in DeKalb Cemetery.
She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Rev. Jerry L. Braswell of Smithville, 4 children, Debbie Taylor Luna of McMinnville, Garry Hale of KY, Kim (James) Evans and Brent Estes all of Murfreesboro, 7 grandchildren, Meshia Hammers, Jordan Roller, Ryan Taylor, Makenzie Stanley, Megan Evans, Samuel Lawson & Hannah Lawson, 10 great-grandchildren, sister, Shirley Hale of Liberty, brother, David (Sandra) Bain of Smithville and special cousin, Annie Mae Walker.
In addition to flowers donations may be made to Faith Tabernacle Church of Pentecost or thestrokefoundation.org.
To keep Carolyn’s memory alive the family wanted to share her recipe of her famous banana cake. 1 box of yellow cake mix, 3 to 4 ripe bananas and 1 box of vanilla pudding. Directions: prepare yellow cake mix by directions on the box. Blend bananas in with cake mixture. Blend vanilla pudding into mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or done. Icing: 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 packs of cream cheese (softened) and 1 T of vanilla flavoring. Mix and blend.