Carolyn Jane Plunkett Dunn Funeral

Obituary

Carolyn Jane Plunkett Dunn of Blountsville, Alabama, passed away on February 24, 2023, at the age of 73. Mrs. Dunn was born to William Wallace and Dorothy Ophelia Stewart Riddle on February 1, 1950, in Blount County, Alabama.

Carolyn was the fourth of seven children.  

She was a hard worker, and worked as a café cook as well as in the Wrangler Factory for many years.

Mrs. Dunn enjoyed life and was a spirited woman. She enjoyed riding motorcycles and going out to eat. and was a professional worrier and was always concerned about her family.

She adored her children and grandchildren and would do anything for them. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Mrs. Dunn is preceded in death by her parents, William Wallace and Dorothy Ophelia Riddle; husband, Bill Plunkett; son, David Plunkett; daughters, Lisa Plunkett, Jan Dunn; and brothers, Buck Riddle, Roger Dale Riddle, and Bobby Andrew Riddle.

She is survived by:

her loving husband of many years, Ricky Dunn;

grandchildren, Danny Uribe (Sommer), Jenny Plunkett, Amberlyn Plunkett, David Plunkett;

great-grandchildren, Ace Uribe, Hudson Uribe, Maliki White, Maize White, Destiny-Faith White; brother, Franklin Riddle; sisters, Diane Williams (James), Martha Brown (Donny); daughter-in-law, Sabrina Plunkett;

several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

Introduction

It is an honor to stand alongside of all you today. My name is Matthew Coby. I serve as one of the ministers at Gilliam Springs Baptist Church in Arab, AL. I have the privilege of ministering to Brooke, Morgan, and their Families, and was extremely humbled when Morgan reached out, asking me to be here today.

Thou i never had the opportunity to meet Ms. Carolyn, I have been able to get to know her a little bit through the stories that i’ve heard from some one you. It’s always a great Joy for me to hear about experiences, and see through the eyes of loved ones in times like these. We often find that in moments like these, moments of grief, sorrow, and pain, it’s not the pain that we’re discussing when we’re together before or after the funeral, but it’s the way that they made us smile, laugh, or even let us get away with stuff that we shouldn’t have.

Message

Of all the places that we could turn to in times of grief, it is especially precious to read about Jesus. One of the followers of Jesus—a man named John—wrote about Jesus’ life. It is in The Gospel According to John that we read the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

One of the many stories that John records in his gospel tells us about a man named Lazarus, who was a dear friend of Jesus. In John chapter 11, we read:

Jesus and his disciples heard that Lazarus, who lived in a town called Bethany, was very sick. Now Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. And after two days, Jesus told his disciples: ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.

By the time that Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead in his tomb for four days. Lazarus’s sister Martha ran out to meet Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’

Then Lazarus’s other sister, Mary, came out to meet Jesus.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Then, Jesus prayed to His Father and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ (John 11, paraphrase)

The story of Lazarus teaches us several important lessons for facing times of grief. First, we need to take time to grieve.

Take Time to Grieve

First, the story of Lazarus reminds us that we need to take time to grieve.

Sometimes, we convince ourselves that what we need to do is “be strong” and “press on” for the sake of those around us. But when Jesus came to Bethany to comfort the family of Lazarus, he did not brace himself and hold back his tears. He wept.

When we love someone very dearly, as Jesus loved Lazarus, it is natural to cry. It is part of God’s plan that we go through a grieving process when we experience loss. The Bible says, “There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecc. 3:4).

Holding back tears does not mean that we are strong, it means that we are weak — scared to accept how we feel. Some people never allow themselves to grieve properly, and it only hurts them in the long run. It’s okay to cry. It’s important to grieve. It’s good to remember the precious times we have spent with a loved one, even though it hurts.

When Jesus saw the tomb of Lazarus, he faced what had happened. He likely reflected on the memories he shared with Lazarus when they reclined at the dinner table and laughed while enjoying Martha’s famous home-cooked meals.

Even though Jesus had the power to resurrect Lazarus immediately, He paused and took time to grieve. We live in a demanding world that tries to push us along to the next activity. But when tragedy strikes in our family, we need to pause.

You have many memories with your loved one, and they are very precious.

Take time to remember.

Talk about her love for motorcycles

Jokingly blame her for stunting your growth because she filled your bottle with coffee when you were a baby

Talk about times when Aunt Carolyn covered your lie about throwing her a birthday party, so that you could go on a secret trip to an AC/DC.

Take time to grieve. It’s okay to laugh, and It is okay to cry. Remember, Jesus wept.

Jesus Understands

Second, the story of Lazarus reminds us that Jesus understands our grief. 

In the dark times, we sometimes feel like God is very far away and doesn’t understand how we feel.

But Hebrews 4:15 confirms that God is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he came to earth and lived as a man named Jesus. He endured the worst kinds of sufferings, from grief over his lost friend Lazarus, to a painful death on the cross.

Whatever we are going through, Jesus really does understand.

The Bible reassures us that when we pray to God in hard times, He hears us: “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (Ps. 116:1-2).

God Has a Purpose

Third, the story of Lazarus reminds us that God has a purpose.

Both Mary and Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, you could have healed Lazarus from his sickness and prevented him from dying!” So, why didn’t Jesus come earlier and heal Lazarus?

Jesus explained the reason to his disciples: “Lazarus became sick and died for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it…for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

God saw the bigger picture. The eternal destinies of Lazarus’s family and the crowds that gathered at the funeral were at stake.

When we experience a tragedy, we often ask, “Why?” Romans 8:28 is a precious promise: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” If you love God, you can be confident that He will take the worst possible circumstances and use them to accomplish something good. If you do not love God, you can come to know him.

In the case of Lazarus, God’s purpose was to show that Jesus is the Son of God so people would believe and be saved from their sins.

Jesus is Lord of Life and Death

Finally, the story of Lazarus reminds us that Jesus is the Lord of life and death.

Jesus proved to everyone that He was truly God by the incredible miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.​

Now, you might think, “my loved one will not be raised from the dead.” But the Bible tells us that someday everyone will be raised from the dead, and we will stand before God.

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life…everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

What would your answer be? Would you say to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”?

Receive the Lord of Life

The Bible teaches that we have all sinned. We have all disobeyed God’s law. We have all ignored God and lived our own way on our own terms. Romans 3:23 says that the penalty of sin is death.

But God is very loving. He showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for us. What should have happened to us, happened to Jesus. Jesus died.

The wonderful news is that Jesus did not stay dead! On the third day, He rose again! Just as Lazarus, God raised him from the dead.

Today, Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven praying for us. He wants us all to be reunited with Him some day. He is not willing that anyone should perish. He expects that we confess our sins, turn away from our sins, and look to Him as our only hope for salvation.

Romans 10:9 promises that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Although death is a solemn reminder, it also points us to the most wonderful, hope-filled message of all! Jesus is the Lord of life and death. Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life!

So We find comfort, Hope, and Peace this afternoon in the Beautiful Poem written by Margaret Powers One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, One belonging to me and one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. "Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

• On Behalf of the Family, I thank you all for coming.

Your continued Support and Prayers will be needed and appreciated. Let us enter into a time of prayer, and we will be dismissed. Pray

Graveside

Psalm 23 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Luke 23:46 ESV

46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Pray