Carolyn Wilkins Best passed away on March 6, 2023, in Springfield, Missouri. She was 90 years old.

Carolyn was born on October 31, 1932, in Amory, Mississippi. The family lived in nearby Smithville at the time. Her father's work with the Soil Conservation Service later took the family to New Albany, Holly Springs, and then Yazoo City, Mississippi.

After graduating from Yazoo City High School in 1950, she attended Mississippi State College for Women ("The W") for two years before transferring to the University of Mississippi. At Ole Miss, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1954.

After completing her education, she spent a summer working in New York City before taking a job in New Orleans, Louisiana. She married Dr. William Ross Best in 1957 and they divorced in 1979. They lived in Louisiana before moving to Burlington, North Carolina in 1959. The family moved to Missoula, Montana in 1973.

After her children were grown, she moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, to care for her mother and lived there until moving to Missouri in December 2020 to be near her daughter, Anne.

Carolyn was a mother, grandmother, and devoted friend.  She was a thoughtful, kind, and intelligent person with a wide range of interests including history, geography, books and culture. She was close to her large extended family in Mississippi, easily made new friends, and maintained many long-lasting relationships with frequent calls, letters, newspaper clippings, and birthday cards.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd Albert Wilkins and Lois Weems Wilkins; her younger twin sisters, Dr. Jeanette "Biggie" Wilkins and Willette "Bitsy" Wilkins Bonney; and her son, Gene Lloyd Best.

The family wishes to extend their appreciation to the Baptist Home of Ozark, Missouri for the care she received in her final years.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Carr United Methodist Church of Smith County, Mississippi.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Carr Church Cemetery/Maintenance Fund c/o Jeanne Finch, Treasurer, 15525 Highway 501, Forest, Mississippi 39074.