Carmela Carmen Caro Harry's Obituary
It is almost impossible to write an accurate obituary that encompasses all of the incredible gifts that Carmela (Carmen) Caro Harry possessed. She finally got to “Go Home” (as she always so eloquently phrased it) January 2, 2013. Carmen was the third of six children born in Rio Grande City, Texas on the 22nd of August 1923. She was the very proud daughter of Juan B. Caro and Modesta Cavazos Caro. Carmen was a very lovable kind, giving person, never thinking of herself – only her family. At a very early age, Carmen showed true courage and love for her parents. Juan Caro, her father and sheriff of Rio Grande City, Texas where she was born, would come in many times very late. She would go through a cemetery late at night just to bring her daddy a hamburger when no other child would. She graduated from Rio Grande City, Texas in 1942. She attended cosmetology school after moving to Houston with her sister Lourdes Whitten. Together they took a job at Foley’s in the cosmetic and perfume department. During World War II, she moved back home to assist in the war effort by helping in aircraft maintenance with the B-17 and B-24 bombers in Harlingen, Texas. She also assisted her mother to maintain the family restaurant in Rio Grande City, Texas. A year later she met and married Robert Farmer. After a struggling marriage, she met Benjamin Harry her life-long husband, while she was waitressing in her mom’s restaurant, Caro’s Mexican Food. After a few bull fight dates, they were married in 1953. Ben was employed with Sun Oil Company, now Kerr-McGee. They had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harry Lindenbaum. Her husband’s job took them to many regions of Texas and Oklahoma, including Premont, Corpus Christi, Oklahoma City, and finally Dallas. Ben worked 32 years for Sun Oil Company, retiring in the 80s. Mom had many interests in this world, but her family was always number one. Her unconditional love for her children, her incessant love of greeting new neighbors to the neighborhood, assisting the local church, and her unfailing love of being an incredible housewife, mother, and confidant to her family were just some of her many endearing qualities. She loved the arts, in particular classical piano and the opera. Her constant support, encouragement, love, and loving smiles, meant everything to us. She had such an infectious smile—and at times a very memorable, disapproving look. You always knew where you stood with her. She admired the stoic, the tough, the impenetrable, as she herself was. Not once in all the years we’ve known her, did she ever say once, “I am hurting,” or “please give me something for pain.” She suffered for almost 18 years with full-blown Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, coupled with five back pain surgeries. The latter part of her life she even endured a total knee replacement with very porous bones. The majority of her life was endured with back braces and special shoes for walking. Through all this immense suffering, she would do her best to comfort anyone who was in pain at the moment. Family was ALWAYS FIRST. Any thoughts she may have had trying to endure the obvious struggle quickly vanished in thin air and that lucky family member had her undivided attention immediately. We want to thank all of the medical staff over the years that helped us on our journey with mom 18 years. We could not have done any of this without their aid and assistance. Mom is now truly “home” where she has wanted to be for a long time. Being at God’s side now, I know she is smiling, not in pain any more, and not struggling to communicate any more words. Blessed be God forever! The family will receive friends following a rosary/memorial service on Sunday, January 6, 2013 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home in the Abbey Chapel, 9220 Restland Road, Dallas, Texas 75243. Funeral services will be the following day, Monday, January 7, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1201 Alma Drive, Plano, Texas 75075 immediately followed by a graveside service. St. Mark’s Catholic Church will host a small reception following the graveside. Carmen is preceded in death by her mother and father Juan and Modesta Caro, and her loving husband of forty-two years Benjamin A. Harry, Jr. She is survived her daughter Mary Elizabeth Lindenbaum and husband Curt Lindenbaum, her beloved son Glen Dwight Farmer and wife Sharon Farmer, her only loving grand-daughter Bonnie Jean Tienda and husband Juan Tienda, his daughter Alexandra Tienda and her one great grandson John Paul Alejandro Rodriguez, all of Lubbock, Texas. She is also survived by her only sister, Argentina Caro Carr.
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