Carolyn LaRae Furrey passed away peacefully on July 13, 2026, just a few weeks shy of her 83rd birthday. She leaves behind a legacy of unconditional love to the family she proudly built. Cremation has taken place and a private family inurnment will take place at a later time.

Carolyn was born on July 31, 1943, to Betty Jean and Raymond Strodtman. She was united in marriage on June 8, 1961 to Earl E. Furrey in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where they made their home and raised their two children, Kenneth and Katherine.

Affectionately known as Grammy to her immediate family, Carol was the ultimate caretaker who happily filled the roles of loving wife, sister, mom, grandma, aunt, and friend to everyone she met. She was the warm embrace and the ultimate cheerleader that everyone always knew they could count on. She had a hand in helping to raise and care for nearly everyone in her extended family from her own siblings and children to her nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great nieces and nephews. Her love and kindness were open and unconditional – To her, no detail of our lives was too small and no friend of ours was a stranger. She possessed an infectious interest in the lives of others. She was always eager to hear about what everyone was doing, genuinely investing her time and heart not just in her family, but in our friends and acquaintances as well. She was proud of her family and always excited to share that with everyone she encountered though too humble to admit the part she played in building this legacy.

She took immense pride in creating a warm, welcoming environment for those she loved and always kept a remarkably tidy home and beautiful flower beds. Even when living in a shared apartment complex, she took it upon herself to tend to the shared courtyard, planting flowers and bringing joy to all of her neighbors.

Beyond her family, Carol’s greatest passion was sports. She was a die-hard Nebraska Cornhusker football fan through and through, but she would happily watch just about any sport, especially those played by the kids in her family. Her fan loyalty was also fiercely tied to her love for her family; she proudly adopted the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team after her granddaughter attended school there, and she closely followed the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Wildcats, Tampa Bay Rays, and many others based on the allegiances of her closest family members. Whether it was yelling along with us for the players on TV or sitting in the stands for games and school events for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and great-grands, great-nieces and nephews, she was always there bursting with pride for her family’s or team’s achievements.

Carol is survived by her daughter, Katherine (Monty) Moore of Hutchinson, Kansas, daughter in-law Dianna Furrey of Terrytown, Nebraska, grandchildren Jessica (Stephen) Burtin, Raymond Furrey, and Misty Higgins, great grandchildren Robert, Devin, Jackson, and Parker, siblings Lonnie (Renae) Strodtman, Dino (Dan) Wernli, Deb Meller, Bo (Steve) Fegler and numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant sister, brother, William Strodtman, husband, Earl E. Furrey, son, Kenneth Furrey, granddaughter, Karissa Shannon, grandsons Jacob Moore and Shad Higgins, and nephews John Meller and Dustin Wernli.

She was greatly loved and will be deeply missed.