Cora Caroline Hess, affectionately referred to as "Carolyn," age 85, of Rocky Comfort, Missouri, passed away at 9:01 a.m. on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. She was born December 1, 1937, in Rocky Comfort, Missouri, the daughter of the late Noel William and Martha A. (Hodson) Gum. On April 21, 1963, Caroline married Harold Hess in Madison, Wisconsin; he preceded her in death on January 27, 2019.

Caroline and her family moved back to the Rocky Comfort area from Indiana in 1978, and she was a member of the Church of Christ. She worked as a legal secretary, including as a personal assistant to one of the Vice Presidents at the Walmart Corporate Office in Bentonville, Arkansas, and as the school secretary for the Rocky Comfort Schools. She and Harold had a cattle farm, and Caroline loved to spend time with her cows, tending to the daily duties of a cattle farmer and working puzzles, reading, and doing an occasional sewing project.

Caroline will be lovingly remembered by her two children, Robert "Bob" Hess of Rocky Comfort and Vicki Gray of Joplin; four grandchildren, David, Daniel, Kayla and Clayton; and four great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, she is preceded in death by two sons, Donald and Noel Hess.

At her request, Caroline is to be cremated, and a memorial service will be held at a later date. The Clark Funeral Home in Neosho, Missouri, has conducted arrangements.