September 4, 1930 – July 16, 2025

Carol June Landers was a woman of resilience, strength, grace, humor, and unwavering faith.

Carol was born on September 4, 1930, in Seminole, Oklahoma, to Iverson Tulius Higginbottom and Opal Lee Redding. Born into the hardships of the Great Depression, she was raised by her great-grandmother, Eliza Jane Higgenbottom, alongside her older brother David. Even from a young age, Carol learned what it meant to persevere, to love fiercely, and to face life’s challenges with courage. During those early years her great-grandmother took her to church and to traveling revivals where she first learned about the love of Jesus.

She later moved in with her father and stepmother, Vera, becoming part of a beautifully blended family, alongside siblings Doyle, Barbara, Jerry, Steven, Roger, Curtis and Linda. Those early years shaped Carol into someone who knew the value of hard work and the blessing of family.

Her father was known for his ownership of OK Mattress in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where the whole family took part in the family business.

At just 18, full of determination and spirit, Carol set out on her own to meet her birth mother, travelling to Lampasas, Texas, with her best friend Norma. It was there, in a twist only God could author, that she met the love of her life, John Albert Landers, the brother of Norma’s sweetheart, Buster. Carol and John were married March 25,1949 and remained together for 48 years, until Albert’s passing in 1997.

As a military wife, Carol journeyed across the world from Oklahoma City to New York to Japan to Tennessee to Arizona to Florida to Ardmore, Oklahoma with Albert serving intermittent tours in Thailand and Taiwan.  Albert was ultimately stationed at Ellington Air Force base near Friendswood, Texas, where they planted deep roots and raised four beautiful children. John Albert served 30 years in the Air Force, and Carol served just as faithfully at home raising their children with love, faith, and tireless devotion. She was a woman of many gifts. She played women’s basketball while living in Japan, worked at the officers’ club in Florida, and had numerous jobs along the way at Brannan Grocery as a cashier and on the assembly line at the Nabisco Corporation. She was an antique enthusiast, known for her exquisite personal style and decor. She enjoyed selling collectibles and spending time shopping with both of her daughters. Carol’s most successful venture came along when she earned her real estate license, thanks to a conversation in a beauty shop with her friend Evelyn Newman who owned K.E.Y. Realty. Carol built a 20-year career in real estate, helping families, especially those in the military and NASA communities, find homes in the Bay Area. Professionally, she was known for her integrity, professionalism, and her personal touch. Her sense of humor and sharp wit were unforgettable. Carol had a way of telling it like it was, but always with warmth and grace.

More than her accomplishments, what made Carol extraordinary was the way she loved. She was a devoted wife, a nurturing and involved mother, and a grandmother who made every grandchild feel uniquely cherished. Her hugs, her laughter, her stories, and her presence will forever be held in the hearts of those who loved her.

She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Friendswood from 1969 until her passing. She found community, fellowship, and purpose there, especially in the Joy Fellowship Sunday School class. She built deep, lasting friendships and remained a joyful witness of God’s grace to the very end.

Carol was preceded in death by her husband John Albert Landers, her brothers David Higgenbottom and Steven Higgenbottom, her daughter Pamela Johanson, her son Jimmy Lee Landers, her granddaughter Rachel Harper Starns, and her great-grandson Jace Riley. We take comfort knowing she is reunited with them now in heaven.

She is survived by her daughter Cynthia Harper of Friendswood and her son John Landers and his wife Nona, also of Friendswood. She leaves behind 12 beloved grandchildren, Jennifer Brown ( husband Chris), June Ann Landers, Jimmy Lynne Riley (husband Joel), Jon Marcus Newsom (wife Traci), Bubba Harper (wife Karrole), Joey Harper (wife Becca), Adam Harper, Luke Landers (wife Emily), Lindsey Moen (husband Austin), Jillian Landers, and Jana Landers. Her legacy also lives on in her 15 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Even in her final days, Carol sang hymns of praise, her voice lifting up the name of Jesus, a reflection of the deep and abiding faith that carried her through every joy and sorrow. Her life was a testimony of God’s faithfulness, and her legacy is one of unshakable hope. If you knew Carol, you knew love. You knew strength. You knew laughter, loyalty, and a woman who lived every moment with purpose. The greatest gift she gave us was her faith, a faith that she passed down to her children and grandchildren, a faith that will continue to light our paths even as we walk forward without her.

Rest well, Mom Carol. You are home. From glory to glory, you have run your race, and what a beautiful race it was.

Friends are cordially invited to the visitation with the family on Friday, July 25, 2025 at 1:00pm with the funeral service to begin at 2:00pm. at Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, 311 N. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood, Texas 77546 with Rev. Moe Mays officiating.  Interment will follow at South Park Cemetery in Pearland, Texas.