Imogene Corley Carns

Imogene Corley Carns, known to many as Genie and Aunt Gene, was born on November 8, 1927 in Lexington, SC, to Maude Estelle Wingard Corley and Ernest Jamison Corley. She graduated from Lexington High School in 1945. She rode in a 1931 Model A to Sesquicentennial State Park for her Senior Trip where she had a picnic with her classmates who would remain lifelong friends. Her class stayed in touch and kept a very long tradition of monthly dinners in Lexington on the second Tuesday night of each month. She attended most of the dinners even after moving to NC in 2006. She attended Winthrop College from 1945 to 1949 majoring in Home Economics. On June 10, 1950 Imogene married the love of her life, Alton Leroy Carns, and was married to him for 43 years until his death in 1993. From 1951 to 1956 she was employed as a bookkeeper for Colonial Stores for its North and South Carolina operations. She also served as comptroller during the last two years of her employment there. In 1956 she gave birth to their only child, Angela “Angie” Carns Toma who is married to Robert Michael “Mike” Toma of Cornelius, NC. She taught Home Economics at Eau Claire High School from 1973 to 1974. She became a Library Assistant at AC Flora High School in 1974 until she retired in 1996. She had many years of perfect attendance, was at school extra early each morning and loved the staff and students with whom she worked and interacted daily. She kept in touch with many of them over the years. After her retirement, she was an assistant bookkeeper at Chuck’s Auto Service where she was known by the employees and customers as Aunt Gene. She loved them all! Imogene was predeceased by her husband, Alton Carns, her mother and father, Maude and Ernest Corley, seven sisters, Lavinia Corley Miller, Essie Corley Monts, Sally Elizabeth Corley, Margaret Lee Corley, Ernest Corene Corley, Mary Eloise Corley, Maudine Corley Jackson, and two brothers, Ernest Jamison Corley, Jr and John Esais Corley. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Angie and Mike Toma, two sisters-in-law, Lois Branham Carns and Aldaray Stone Carns. She has many nieces and nephews, Eskel N. Miller III, Ethel Miller MacInnis, Jane Miller Turner, Elizabeth Monts Rauch Wright, William Lawrence “Bill” Jackson, Jr, Karen Amanda Corley, Kathy Corley Brown, Ernest Jamison Corley III, Susan Corley Mewborn Boan, Timothy Patrick Corley, Alton “Drennan” Park, Jane Park Gillette, Dewayne Michael Carns, Constance “Connie” Carns Ammons, Danny Ware Carns, Cheryl Carns Wylie, Pam Carns Roddey, Dr. Phil Carns and many spouses, children and grandchildren. She and Alton loved opening up their home to their family and friends. Many wonderful memories were made at their home in Columbia where everyone felt well cared for and loved. She was a member of Rehobeth United Methodist Church in Columbia since 1951 where she taught Sunday School for many years. She also served as Worship Chairman, Officer of the Women of the Church and received a Special Mission Recognition Award in 2006 from The United Methodist Women. She served at the Soup Kitchen at Washington Street United Methodist Church, at St. Martin’s-In-The Fields Episcopal Church for Bible School suppers and as a Girl Scout Leader, tirelessly giving of herself, her time and her talents, always with joy in her heart. She lived since 2006 at The Pines at Davidson, NC to be near her daughter and son-in-law. She absolutely loved her life there where she was known as “The Pound Cake Lady”. She loved making residents and staff families happy by baking her delicious old-fashioned pound cakes to share with them. Some of her cakes were enjoyed all around the US and in other countries around the world. She baked so many, 195 in one year alone, that she went through seven ovens in 11 years. Her blood was Orange all of her life as a HUGE Clemson Tiger fan (27 family members over five generations on her side and six more over four generations on her husband’s side of the family with many more to come)! She became a loyal Davidson Wildcat fan in 2006 when she began attending the men’s and women’s basketball games and baking her pound cakes for the players and coaches. The funeral service for Imogene will be held 11 o’clock, Friday, October 12th, Shives Funeral Home, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia with the Reverend Dr. David Rockness officiating. Burial will follow in Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 10 o’clock at the funeral home. Imogene was known for her abiding faith in her Lord, her big smile, her infectious laugh, her talented and creative hands, her generosity and her unconditional love for her family and friends. She loved flowers, but she would LOVE THAT IN LIEU OF THEM, MEMORIALS BE MADE where they can help make a difference for others to Rehobeth Methodist Church 6911 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223 or Sandhills School 1500 Halbrook Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 or The Pines Residents’ Fund at The Pines at Davidson, 400 Avinger Lane, Davidson, NC 28036 or First Presbyterian Church, 249 West McLelland Avenue, Mooresville, NC 28115.

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Imogene Corley Carns

November 8, 1927 - October 6, 2018