Carolyn

Waters

Carolyn June Waters, 92, of Hereford, passed away in Friona on Wednesday, November 5, 2026.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at First Baptist Church in Hereford, Texas, with Pastor Nathan Adams officiating. A private family burial will take place at Llano Cemetery on Thursday morning under the care and direction of Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home of Hereford. Visitation for family and friends will be held at the funeral home from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

Carolyn was born on April 2, 1934, in Denton, Texas to Oscar Lee “Jack” and Clara Lou (Felps) Briscoe. Carolyn, third of five children, lived her whole life in Texas. She attended Stony and Ponder schools in grades 1-5. During high school in Krum, she was active in 4-H, choir, basketball and softball. After graduating in 1951, she received her Teacher’s Certification from North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas in Denton. At the age of 19 she began her teaching career in the fall of 1953 with a class of 34 3rd graders in Happy.

Don Waters returned from his tour of duty with the US Navy in October, 1954, and they met on the football field in Happy. They were married on June 11, 1955. After the birth of their first child, Teresa Joan, they moved from the family farm near Happy to a farming position north of Hereford where they lived for 4 years. During that time their oldest son, Dwayne Ray, was born. After they moved into Hereford, she taught at Aikman the ‘59-’60 school year while continuing to pursue a degree to go with her teaching certification. With correspondence, Saturday only and night classes, and full-time summer classes she graduated from West Texas State College, now WTA&MU, in August, 1964. During this time, she and Don had two more sons, Richard Lloyd and Kenneth Don.

After receiving her degree, she taught 5th grade at Aikman for 11 years. Although she thoroughly enjoyed 3rd & 5th grades, the opportunity came to fulfill a longtime dream of teaching in junior high.

After teaching 7th & 8th grade English for two years, she began the second phase of her dream, teaching history to junior high students. A number of her last class of 5th graders were her students again the 7th, 8th and a few even in 9th grade; none asked to be transferred to another class. She was also yearbook sponsor in jr high, directed spelling bee and science fair in elementary and geography bee, history fair and numerous essay contests in jr high.

One of her most prized highlights was to charter and sponsor Junior Historians. She sponsored trips to annual meetings and history fairs where she had competitors in local, area and state. Her only regret with this was that she had not done it sooner. After her 13th year at Stanton Jr High, the two jr highs were merged and she ended her teaching career at Hereford Jr High in 7th grade Texas history.

Carolyn also demonstrated a passion for church and community. She was saved and identified with Christ at an early age at Stony Baptist Church, was a member of FBC, Happy, during her 2 years there, Temple Baptist Church, Hereford for the full length of its life, which was over 65 years and was presently active at FBC, Hereford. She and Don taught youth and were remembered by many as their young couples teachers. She was involved with helping not only her own kids as they worked on RA’s, GA’s and youth activities, but many other kids in church.

From an early in life interest in journalism, Carolyn wrote a column about junior high activities for the Hereford Brand for a number of years and was awarded the coveted School Bell Award for excellence in journalism by TSTA on six occasions. She also had book reviews published in several magazines. She was a contributor to county histories for Deaf Smith Co schools and also compiled the history of Hereford schools in pictures which is displayed at the administration building. She shared her love of photography with many, including a poster size picture of the Deaf Smith Co courthouse which hangs in the justice of the peace office.

She wrote articles under the title of Tales of Deaf Smith County by gathering information from parts of her above history searches, interviewing people and then spent much of her time in early editions of the Hereford Brand. She loved to include articles that talked about Hereford citizen’s activities, names and dates from years gone by.

There are so many activities, clubs and organizations that have been left out of this history of Carolyn’s life, but I will mention Lions and her teachers organization, Delta Kappa Gamma. An educator for thirty seven years in the classroom, she did not retire in the traditional, sense as she continued her love of education by serving on the HISD board of trustees for 27 years, 9 terms.

Carolyn touched and influenced the lives of countless individuals, which included 3 generations of many families. She encouraged her students and her own children to have an “I Can” attitude.

The love of her life was Donald Waters, her husband of 41 years who passed away in 1996. She said she could never have accomplished what she did without his love and support.

Carolyn’s legacy lives on through her children, Teresa Joan Grimsley of Friona, Texas, and Kenneth Don Waters and his wife, Arla, of Rhea, Texas; her grandchildren, Ty Grimsley (Shaye), Luke Waters (Crissy), Kyle Grimsley (Heather), Corben Waters (fiancée Kathleen), Marshall Waters (Maggie), Colleen “C.J.” McIntosh, Regan Waters (Courtney), Davin Waters, Brennan Waters (Emily), Cason Waters (Abby), Samuel Waters, Logan Waters, Gracey Castilleja (Sean), and Franklin Waters; her great-grandchildren, Kolton Grimsley, Kelsi Grimsley, Lucy Waters, Heston Grimsley (Julia), Kyson Grimsley, Tensley Grimsley, Margot Waters, Martin Waters, Charlotte Waters, Declan Waters, Nolan Waters, Elliott Waters, Oliver Waters, and a baby girl Waters on the way; her great-great-grandchildren, Waylon Grimsley and a baby girl Grimsley on the way; her three daughters-in-law, Stacy, Judy, and Lisa; her sisters, Vanna Bernice Ingram of Denton, Texas, and Rebecca (Becky) Jane Buchanan (Tom) of San Antonio, Texas; granddaughter-in-law Elizabeth; and several nieces and nephews.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, O.L. “Jack” and Clara Lou Briscoe; her husband, Donald Ray Waters; her sons, Richard Lloyd Waters and Dwayne Ray Waters; her son-in-law, Michael Robert Grimsley; her great-grandchild, Henry Sterling Waters; her brothers, James Hubert Briscoe and Jack Edward Briscoe; and her niece, Lorie Jane Ingram.

In lieu of flowers memorial may be made in Carolyn’s honor to the Texas Lions Camp, 4000 Highway 27, Kerrville, TX,78028-7091; www.lionscamp.com