Caroline Mae Hibbard left this world on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 to join her beloved savior Jesus Christ. She passed peacefully in hospital from age-related events. The ninth of ten children, Caroline was born in Port Angeles to Olene and Carl Thorp, Norwegian immigrants. At 93, she was the last surviving family member of her generation.

Caroline lived her entire life as a devout Christian, proud to be a charter member of her church, which she attended regularly for as long as she was able and where she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. She often spoke of childhood Sunday family dinners with guest missionaries and the church pastor.

Sons Rod and Richard remember that often running late on a Sunday morning, Caroline put her lead foot into action. Amazingly, she was never ticketed. On occasion, the boys would skip out of services early. Such behavior could cause the dreaded red belt to make an appearance. It was a wide belt meant to exact severe discipline. The boys would act as if it really hurt, but it didn't. Over the years Caroline would threaten her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren with spankings in Norwegian. Even into her 90s, she teasingly threatened to hand out a "reesparump."

When Caroline was fourteen, the United States entered WWII. Summers, during the course of the war, she and her girlfriends would put tape on their backs in the shape of a V and sit out in the sun to get a "V for Victory" tan. Towards the end of the war and into her twenties, Caroline (along with her sister Olga Jean and their friend Barbara) sang Sunday evenings on KONP radio for several years. At some point in her late teens, Caroline left high school to go to work selling men's clothing at Miller's Department Store in downtown Port Angeles. There she was named top sales clerk several times. While she was working at Miller's in 1948, a handsome young man came into the store to make a purchase. The next day he returned to ask Caroline, his sales clerk, for a date. Caroline married Herbert Walker Hibbard three weeks later in a much publicized triple wedding. They were married over 50 years.

Soon after they married, they bought a home on the east side of Port Angeles. There Caroline sewed a set of curtains for Herb's berth on the tug Matilda Foss, where he lived when out at sea. In 1951, the first of three children Karla Marie was born. Around that time Herb left Foss tug and began work at Rayonnier while Caroline became a full time wife and mother.

Herb and Caroline settled into married life, moving to the west side soon after the birth of their first son, Rodney Walker in 1955. Richard Gene was born two years later.

During her these years, Caroline perfected her baking and cooking talents. Family favorites were her chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, awesome cinnamon rolls, lemon pie with real whipping cream, Melty Moment cookies; and on Christmas, Norwegian Fattigmann and almond coffee cake were special treats. Everything was made from scratch. Over the years, Caroline's baked goods were well-known at Lincoln Elementary school where she was a room mother, at Karla's Campfire Girl meetings, and at Richard's Cub Scout meetings where Caroline was a den mother. Caroline made all kinds of breads as well and always from scratch. Her baked beans were devoured at annual Fourth of July family picnics. Only an empty granite roaster went home. In fact, Caroline cooked so many beans throughout the years that she won a $200 prize from Angeles Millworks for guessing how many beans were in a quart jar. She missed by only 2 beans. Additionally, family members remember how quickly Caroline could concoct a tasty meal out of anything; nothing went to waste. She was deft with a paring knife, flying through potatoes and carrots to make a stew. It was a marvel that she never cut herself as she didn't even look at what she was cutting.

Family and friends also remember Caroline as quite an athlete; riding a bicycle, doing handstands against a wall, and playing baseball with the neighborhood kids, which she followed up by serving frozen Kool-Aid ice cube treats. Caroline loved to laugh and cut up. With a straight face, she would often give the "one-eye", dropping a single eyelid like no else has ever done! It was hilarious. Plus, Caroline was artistic, winning an honorable mention after sending a freehand sketch of a leprechaun to an art school for critique.

After Karla married and Rod and Richard were in high school, Caroline went to work at the Coast-to-Coast as a hardware clerk. It was work she enjoyed. Between 1979 and 1986, Caroline became a grandmother to Eric, Rick, Peter, and Leah. Over the years, she spent summers reading them stories during out-of-doors naptime, baking cookies while they sat on the counter watching and helping, attending birthday parties, and wrapping Christmas packages to be delivered or mailed.

When Herb retired from Rayonnier, Caroline retired from cooking Sunday meals. They would attend church services and then meet family at Roy's Chuckwagon for an all-you-can-eat brunch. When Roy's shut down, they met at various restaurants. Caroline seldom ever cooked again on Sundays while Herb was alive. In 2000, Herb, the love of her life, died suddenly while hiking the Olympics. Caroline was devastated. Her family and her faith were her support. She continued to have lunches with her sisters and nieces. Holidays were spent with her sons and grandchildren, and later her greatgrandchildren, Logan, Ayleeann, Breelyn, Marrielle, Brady, Ryah and Kylynn.

When Caroline was 82, her daughter Karla died unexpectedly. Again Caroline turned to faith and family. She enjoyed monthly lunches out with her daughters-in-law, Terrie and Debbie; but she especially enjoyed those lunches with great granddaughter Marrielle. Around age 90, Caroline showed signs of dementia. At 91, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and moved in with Rod, Debbie, and their cat Scruffy. She got a kick out of feeding Scruffy as well as watching her sleep on her back with all four legs up in the air. It was during this same time that Caroline became an avid reader, so much so that she participated in the NOLS Summer Reading Challenge, earning a T-shirt which she wore proudly. All that year she diligently recorded the titles of each book she had completed. She earned another T-shirt at age 92. Besides reading for her own enjoyment, Caroline read to great granddaughters, Ryah and Kylynn. When they could no longer sit still, she would bat balloons with them and Marrielle, an activity she greatly enjoyed.

Within her family, church, and neighborhood, Caroline was known for her kindness and generosity. She was a talented baker, sharing cookies, cakes, breads, and pies—nearly all made from scratch—with anyone who came by the house. Additionally, she always had on a pot of coffee. Caroline loved hot, hot black coffee and any sugary treat.

On June 16, Caroline was interred at Mt. Angeles Cemetery at a private family service led by Pastor Omer Vigoren. Surviving family members include sons Rod (Debbie) and Richard (Terrie), grandchildren Eric (Sarah) Hibbard, Rick (Maria) Hibbard, Leah (Greg) Aoyagi, and Peter Collins, as well as nine great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Caroline lived a long life. She was proud not only of her heritage and her faith, but of her family, her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Caroline will be greatly missed. If you would like to honor Caroline, donations can be made to the Joyce Volunteer Fire Department or the Alzheimer's organization.

Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in Port Angeles is entrusted with her arrangements. Please sign the online guestbook for her family at www.drennanford.com .