CAROLYN ROSE GROSS, 1937-2026

Carolyn Rose Gross (née Mertens), 88, of Mount Shasta, California, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026. Carolyn was a deeply loving and generous woman of deep faith who had a great capacity for friendship and who had many dear friends whose lives were profoundly enriched by her presence. She will be greatly missed.

Born on August 29, 1937, to Carl Joseph Mertens and Esther Isabel Mertens (née Kolb) in Tipton, Missouri, Carolyn was the eighth of twelve siblings raised on a dairy farm in Missouri. After graduating high school in 1955, Carolyn entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Florissant, Missouri, shortly after her sister, Bernadette Rose Maes (née Mertens), had entered the convent as a novice. Carolyn took the name Sister Mary Martin as her religious name after Saint Martín de Porres, a saint she admired for his ministry to the poor. While a Sister, Carolyn taught at Ascension Catholic School in Normandy, Missouri.

Carolyn left the religious life, graduating from Marillac College in 1970. She married her first husband, Bill Lamberson, and later married Erwin Gross. Prior to their divorce, the two lived in Weed, California, for many years.

Carolyn was a great lover of nature and possessed an exceptional green thumb. Her skills as an amateur botanist were extensively knowledgeable, particularly on the healthful and healing properties of particular plants and other flora. Carolyn loved to travel in her motorhome, frequently visiting friends and relatives. She was very active at her church, First Baptist Church of Mount Shasta. She often hosted missionaries for dinners in her home, and donated financially regularly throughout her life, even until right before she moved into assisted living. Although she requested not to have a memorial service, Carolyn asked that donations be made in her memory for ministry for the protection of the unborn.

Carolyn is survived by her siblings Michael, Grace, Carl Jr., and Susan, all of Missouri. She is also survived by nephews Agustín and Paul, and nieces Bernadette and Paulette, of California; nephews Mitch, Greg, Clint, Aaron, Ashley, Charlie, and Ryan of Missouri; nieces Lisa, Sara, Felicia, and Marcy, of Missouri, niece Dana of Washington, and nephew Mark of Texas. She is also survived by four stepchildren, Sandy of Michigan, and Linda, Ed and Andrew of California; by grandchildren Brian, Kai, and Emily of California, Myriah of Pennsylvania, and Elizabeth and Amy of Oregon; and by many grand nephews and nieces.

Eternal rest grant unto Carolyn, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

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