Karol Davis of Grandbury || Obituary

Karol Davis, of Granbury, died June 5, 2023.  She was 84 years old.

Karol had been suffering from complications of a stroke that occurred in 2019 and finally went to be with The Lord after suffering a heart attack.  She died peacefully at Medical City in Fort Worth.  

Karol was born in Chester, Illinois Oct. 27, 1938.  She attended Ellis Grove Elementary School as a young girl in her hometown of The Village of Ellis Grove, Illinois.  She went on to graduate from Chester High School in 1956 where Karol was active in the Chester High School Band.  She was also the 1955 Chester High Homecoming Queen.    

Karol was an outstanding musician and chose to attend Southern Methodist University (SMU) where she graduated with a degree in Music and met the absolute love of her life and future husband JT, who was also attending SMU on a football scholarship.  While at SMU, Karol was also a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority where she served as President her senior year.  

Immediately following their graduation from SMU in 1960, Karol and JT were married in Ellis Grove.  They christened the brand new First Baptist Church of Ellis Grove as the first wedding in the new church.  Around that time, JT started calling Karol by the two nicknames he had given her: “The Rose of Ellis Grove” and “Wonderful One.”  JT was frequently heard singing to Karol his favorite SMU song tune:  “My Girl’s from SMU!”    

They briefly lived in Dallas where Karol taught private piano lessons from their rented garage apartment, while JT served as Executive Director of the Oak Cliff Boys and Girls Club. They moved back to JT’s hometown of Paris, in 1962 where she began her teaching career in the Paris ISD.  She taught music at 1^st Ward Elementary and then East Paris Elementary until 1976 at which time she became the Choir Director at Paris High School.  While at Paris High, Karol led the choir to countless successful UIL choir awards, as well as many Broadway musicals she directed such as Bye Bye Birdie, Annie Get Your Gun, The Music Man, and Hello Dolly to name a few.

Karol remained at Paris High School until 1982 when she was hired by State Farm Insurance to start up a scratch multi-line insurance agency in Paris.  Karol went on to turn that small insurance agency into a thriving business that served the Paris and Lamar County Area for 25 years until her retirement in 2007.  Karol loved serving the Paris Community where she taught countless “Kiddos” as she called them and then later was there to counsel them and insure their homes, cars, boats, lives, and health throughout her 25-year career.  Karol touched the lives of so many through her teaching, her insurance career, and through her loving dedication to her friends and family.  She adored both professions and took great pride in her success. 

In addition to her teaching and insurance career, Karol was also a member of the First Baptist Church in Paris where she faithfully served on the staff as church organist for 40 years from 1962-2002.  Karol also played for an average of 25-30 weddings and funerals a year from 1962-2007.  At one point, JT had estimated and announced to the family that Karol had been a part of over 1,200 weddings and funerals.  

In 2007, Karol retired from State Farm and they moved to Granbury to be closer to her grandchildren. She quickly began scouting Baptist Churches in the area that needed an organist or pianist.  Mambrino Baptist Church took in Karol and JT with open arms where Karol served as their pianist from 2007 until her stroke in 2019.  Karol faithfully cared for JT throughout his 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s and CTE and they were married for over 55 years until his death in 2016.      

During the last 16 years of Karol’s life, she loved living in Granbury where she spent her final days surrounded by her son, John Mark, daughter-in-law, Molly and her grandsons, Cole and Zane, who she loved and adored. Although two of her grandchildren, Justin and Jessica, and two great-grandchildren, Jamie and Macie didn’t live in Granbury, she loved spending time with them all. When Karol left Paris, her love for the people and community of Paris never wavered even in her final days.    

No matter where Karol went, she could always be found playing piano with friends and relatives singing over her shoulder.  Her smile and laughter were contagious.  She always found the positive in every situation and never seemed to be worried about hard times.  

Karol raised her boys with lots of love and laughter.  She never missed a game or golf tournament of theirs.  She and JT were so blessed to have traveled the world together and she made so many great memories traveling with her students as well as her fellow State Farm Agents and their spouses!   

Karol was preceded in death by her father, Stanley Hargis, mother, Georgia Hargis, sister, Gloria Faith Hargis, and her oldest son, Jeff Davis.  Karol is survived by her son, John Mark Davis and his wife, Molly Davis of Granbury, grandsons, Cole Davis of Austin, Zane Davis of Granbury and Justin Davis of Denver, Colorado, granddaughter, Jessica Davis and great-granddaughters, Jamie and Macie of Plano, brother-in-law, Royce Davis, sister-in-law, Kathy Davis, brother-in-law, Newt Davis, sister-in-law, Janice Westbrook, and brother-in-law, Pete Westbrook.  Karol also had numerous cousins in Illinois and nephews and nieces scattered all over whom she loved and adored.    

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Paris, Texas (parisbgc.org) and Paris Education Foundation (Pariseducationfoundation.com)