Growing up in the quiet suburbs of Illinois’ Twisted City, with just her Dad, Mom and little Brother, Carolyn’s childhood was shaped by her “headstrong attitude but loving nature”, according to her daughter Katherine Baremore.
As a high school student, Carolyn diligently pursued a basketball career, excelling both on the court and in the classroom. Her high school science teacher took a special interest in her studious and hardworking virtues. Katherine said, “he inspired her to become a teacher”. Nearing graduation, Carolyn wanted to continue her basketball career in college and committed to Harper College
Homesick for her little brother while she was in college, Carolyn drove to Southern Illinois University to visit him. Upon arriving, she was introduced to her brother’s friend, Keith Baremore, a tall, casual joker with a bleeding heart. Keith became enthralled with Carolyn’s “disciplined but outgoing personality,” telling her after their first date that he was going to marry her.
Falling fast in love, the couple’s long-distance relationship failed to keep them apart. “We would drive back and forth almost every weekend,” Keith said.
Keith went on to complete his master’s degree just two years before Carolyn. “And then I came to EHS and got a teaching job,” Keith said. Carylon then completed her master’s degree at the University of Illinois at Carbondale.
“Two years later, she moved up and got hired for a half-Science and half-Spanish job,” Keith said.
The power couple dove headfirst into preparation for their next big step: marriage. Keith fondly recalls ring shopping together. “She looked at two rings,” he said. “She said she loved one, and she could live with the other. Then she looked at me and said, ‘Your job is to choose one and surprise me.’”
Staying true to his word, Keith proposed to her in Keener Plaza right around Christmas time, Carolyn’s favorite time of year. Keith got down on one knee, the Christmas lights twinkling around them and asked her to marry him. The rest is history.
Moving to the Eureka community for her job, Carolyn settled into a routine with her newlywed husband and began building relationships.
“She became fast friends with many people,” Sharon Wasson, former P.E. teacher at EHS for 27 years, said.
“Carolyn had the unique aptitude to make you feel important immediately,” Wasson said. “Early in our friendship, we would have laughing spells that would make my stomach hurt.”
Carolyn’s positive spirit was well-known around EHS and noticed by both students and staff.
Kara Toomer taught Language Arts at EHS for 23 years and also fell into a fast friendship with Carolyn. “We shared the virtues of having a positive spirit, regardless of circumstances,” Toomer said. “We sometimes run into each other and just start laughing.”
With her infectious laugh and bright smile, Carolyn’s class had a reputation as fun and motivating. Susie Reilly, former EHS Biology teacher of 26 years and current Special Education teacher, describes Carolyn as someone “I wanted to be friends with. She was fun, but as an educator, she held kids to high standards and wanted the best for every student,” Reilly said.
Settling into the community, the Baremores had their daughter, Katherine, in 2002. Keith says their life stopped so they “could start living for the kid” because the most important thing now was to “bring their child up the best way they knew how.”
Just the three of them, Katherine recalls her family “being the neighborhood’s go-to hosts for throwing chili cook-offs and birthday parties.” Their house was always warm with love and laughter.
Motherhood awakened a deeper well of compassion, which she poured into her students—touching their lives far beyond the classroom walls.
Braden Leuthauser, EHS Class of 2017 Alumni and current EHS science teacher, still vividly remembers the first time he walked into Carolyn Baremore’s freshman Biology class.
“I took a seat and said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, this lady is crazy and I love it, ’” Leuthauser said.
Looking back, Leuthauser fondly recalls the fun energy Carolyn brought to the classroom. “There was a lot of yelling, there were a lot of shoes being thrown. There were a lot of snow days being predicted,” Leuthauser said. “There was a lot of fun being had.”
It’s the kind of memory that clearly stands out, defining his time as a student and encouraging him to pursue a teaching career of his own.
That classroom energy was happening while facing serious health challenges. Carolyn battled breast cancer in 2005 and again in 2013. Her third diagnosis came in 2018 with a metastatic cancer diagnosis, which is defined as cancer that has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.
Counselor Molly Smith watched her long-time friend prepare to fight another battle with cancer.
“She was probably the most positive person diagnosed with cancer,” Smith said. “Carolyn continued to teach through her cancer battles, always having an attitude of cancer doesn’t define me.”
Throughout her battle, she continued to make an impact on her students.
“Her dedication to all of her students’ best interests and how she always put others before herself, despite going through so much more than any of us, was inspiring,” Lucy Allyn (11) said.
Finding strength in her Christian faith, friends and family say Carolyn didn’t fear death, but viewed it as a transition to a better place. Her faith led her to plan a celebration of life instead of a more traditional funeral service.
Her former colleague and current EHS science teacher, Kathryn Ingenbohs, described the atmosphere as filled with “tons of people” and “good vibes.”
Ellen Garner, who spent 33 years teaching at EHS and a lifetime calling Carolyn her friend, says Carolyn’s parting gift to the EHS community is her legacy of “life’s too short to sit on the sidelines and wait for something to happen to you. You’ve got to create those moments because you never know when you won’t be able to have them anymore.”
