The grand lady and matriarch of several generations of our family, Elizabeth Caroline O’Neal James, was called to her heavenly home on April 6, 2025, just 17 days short of her 105th birthday. She was at home with family when the Lord called her home.

Known to family and friends by various names, including Mutt, Auntie Mutt, MawMaw, Great MawMaw, and Caroline, she was born on April 24, 1920 to parents William Clair and Maggie Luella Kesterson in Mercer County, Missouri.

She grew up on the family farm in a split log cabin home, and attended Princeton Elementary School. During high school she and her sister Virginia (Ginny), lived in a boarding house in Princeton, returning to the farm on weekends. They also shared an apartment while attending Northwest Missouri Teachers College in Maryville, where she earned her teaching degree.

She married her first husband, Clarence Ray (C.R.) O’Neal in 1943, and they were married until his death in 1976. It is also worthy of note that her dear sister, Ginny, married Ira W. O’Neal, who was C.R.’s brother. The special nature of the relationship resulted in close family ties that remained through their lives, and has endured through the lives of successive generation to this day.

After moving to Kansas City following the end of World War II, Caroline began her teaching career at the Missouri State School for the Deaf, and later finished her career as a second grade teacher at Renner Elementary in the Park Hill School District for over 30 years.

Caroline later met and married Hoyt E. James, and enjoyed their marriage for more than 20 years, until his death in 2005.

She led a full and active life centered around her family and friends. She was faithfully devoted to the lives and activities of her two grandsons and three great grandchildren. She and Hoyt rarely missed the activities of the season – soccer, baseball, swim meets, dance recitals, school functions, whether in town or tournament trips all over the country.

She attribute her long life largely to growing up in the farm and eating what they grew, and healthy diet thereafter, along with years of ballroom dancing with a circle of friends two and three times each week. She was also a dedicated “mall walker” for most of her later years.

She was a charter member of Platte Woods United Methodist Church and a proud member of the Omicron Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Ginny, husbands, C.R. O’Neal and Hoyt James, infant son David O’Neal, daughter Pennie O’Neal Beane.

She is survived by son-in-law David Beane of Parkville, step daughter Linda James of Overland Park, grandsons Casey Beane (wife Shannon), and Tyler Beane of Kansas City, great grandsons Mason Beane and Dawson Beane, greatgranddaughter Whitney Beane all of Kansas City, and special niece and nephew Patty O’Neal Summers (Donald) and Kenny O’Neal, the son and daughter of Ira and Ginny Kesterson O’Neal. In addition, there are many, many grand and great grandnieces and nephews who have known her all their lives.

A reception and celebration of her life will be held at the Athens Church at 6601 NW 72nd Street KC MO, on April 19, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A light lunch will be served, and family and friends are invited to come at any time during the reception as convenient.

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