Carolyn J. Gregory, 78, southern Gasconade county, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Owensville, after a brief hospitalization, and a hospice stay at StoneBridge Senior Living.
She was born Nov. 23, 1947, to the late Elmer Heggen and Fern (Spradling) Heggen in St. Louis.
She was raised in south St. Louis, and attended Southwest High School.
Carolyn attended the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg where she met her future husband, Roger Gregory, and earned her master’s degree in sociology.
She taught college classes in Keokuk, Iowa, for a year after graduation.
Roger and Carolyn were united in marriage on July 1, 1972, in Warrensburg at the university chapel.
With her social nature, she made and kept many friends in communities across Missouri as they moved for Roger’s job. They lived in Butler, Sedalia, Cameron, and Columbia, before settling down for a longer time in Chesterfield, where she raised two children.
While there, she wrote skits for the annual neighborhood theatre and briefly authored a column for the local newspaper. Due to her son Adam’s disabilities, she became active in disability rights and advocacy.
Carolyn spent as much of each summer as possible in northern Wisconsin at her family cottage, where she had spent summers as a child, swimming in Lake Superior. Throughout the rest of the year she talked about the baked goods she would make for her friends at the gas station in Wisconsin.
No matter where you met Carolyn, you knew her wit, humor, and kindness. She loved her friends and acquaintances, and appreciated the differences between all of them.
Carolyn enjoyed reading, being social and writing an annual, detailed, two-page Christmas letter that might be mailed out anywhere from Christmas to Easter. She also wrote letters to Norwegian relatives, in Norwegian, leaning heavily on her language dictionary and her knowledge of Swedish, gained during a study abroad and au pair experience in Sweden during college.
Recently, she enjoyed watching westerns and classic TV shows. You could regularly find her and Roger eating meals at many of the restaurants in nearby towns.
While she grew up in south St. Louis, she valued her life in the country throughout the past 30 years, watching baby calves and devoting attention to her dogs and cats. Carolyn deeply appreciated her neighbors.
She was preceded in death by parents, Elmer and Fern Heggen; son, Adam Gregory; and sister, Karen Heggen.
Carolyn is survived by husband, Roger, of their farm; daughter, Kay Gregory and husband Mark Dierker of Columbia; and grandchildren, Indigo and Grover Dierker.
A private graveside burial was held on Friday, June 19, at Warren Cemetery near Tea, south of Rosebud.
Memorial contributions suggested to Warren Cemetery and may be mailed to: Warren Cemetery, c/o Gottenstroeter Funeral Home, 108 S. 2nd St., Owensville, MO 65066.
Arrangements entrusted to Gottenstroeter Funeral Home in Owensville.
