Mary Carolyn Scott Pollard
This woman, who left this earth on Oct. 29, 2018, was an amazing person, and the world is better for her having been a part of so many people’s lives. Mary Carolyn Scott Pollard, who wanted be known as Carolyn, was born Aug. 20, 1938, to Ruth Herrington and Carl E. Scott in Shawmut. She was born in the home of her grandparents, Truman and Mattie Louise Herrington. She grew up in Lanett and in elementary school found her best friend, Maxine Fincher Daniels. They were cohorts in crime and were always together until they graduated in 1956. She married Willie “Billy” L. Pollard in July 1956 and off they went for the next 62 years, showing everyone who crossed their paths what being best friends and in love through all the ups and downs looked like. They traveled the world as the Air Force sent them from duty station to duty station and they continued traveling after Billy retired.
This young girl who had grown up in a cotton mill town became a military wife and set the bar for other wives with a display of strength and intestinal fortitude needed over the years of changing duty stations, taking care of the family while Daddy was in Vietnam and always reminding us to look at life as an adventure. At each new place, it didn’t matter what she served, we always knew we were home when she called us to come sit down for that first meal. That was important to her – that we were a family and no matter where we lived, that was home. She was always curious about the places we lived in, so every weekend she and Daddy would load us up in the car and take off exploring the surrounding area. In Texas, we picked gallons of strawberries; in Guam we explored the backroads that led us into the boonies where Daddy would buy bananas from the people who lived at the end of those roads; in California we watched the flower parades in Lompoc, bought a utility van that they turned into a family van with seats and windows, drove up and down the coast finding independent bookstores to buy more books for Mama’s extensive collection; in Main we used that same van to take trips to look at the leaves in the fall, to go to Dow Pines for a Christmas vacation and to visit every library in the area. For every duty station we had to move to, we always drove across country so Mama could see new places.
Carolyn fell in love with North Carolina when she read a book by North Carolina author Bernice Kelley Harris, and it was always in her heart to one day live in North Carolina. After Billy retired from the Air Force, they lived in West Point, Ga., then by the grace of God, they found themselves in North Carolina. Carolyn volunteered at Rowan County Library in Landis and eventually found herself working in the main library department responsible for ordering and distributing books. She was so happy in this job learning to use the computer, ordering books and corresponding with various book sellers and authors. She spent many of her lunch hours at the Sidewalk Deli enjoying their good food and reading in a quiet corner of the deli. She was a voracious reader, and her personal library consisted of over 2,000 books that have been passed on to her daughter.
Carolyn is survived by the love of her life, Billy; her daughter, Dawn Josiah; her bonus daughter, Christy Faymonville; her grandchildren, Amanda Josiah, Madison Faymonville and Eli Faymonville; two great-granddaughters, Lotte Josiah and Carolyn Josiah; her brother, Clayton E. Scott and his wife, Johnnie; her brother-in-law, Jimmy Pollard and his wife, Helen; nieces and nephew and many, many special friends.
She was a precious wife, a wonderful mother, a fun-loving grandmother and an amazing Granny. She has left a legacy in all of us that encourages a love of reading, staying true to the one you love and trying to leave your part of the world just a little better than you found it. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local library in her memory or to the endowment in her name at Rowan Public Library. We celebrate her life in that way, so there will not be a funeral or memorial service. Just hug your family and let them know that they mean to you.
Carolina Cremation is assisting the Pollard family of China Grove. Online condolences may be made at www.carolinacremation.com.
