Carolyn Sue Brinkman

Carolyn Sue (Edwards) Brinkman, 85, Indianapolis, passed away Tuesday September 6, 2022.  She was born August 25, 1937 in Homer, Indiana.

Carolyn graduated from Manilla High School where she was a cheerleader and participated in choir and theater.  She was accepted at Ball State University before working at Western Electric, later at Smith-Alsop, and finally starting her own business with her husband Bill, as general contractors.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Brinkman; parents, Olin and LaNelle Edwards; as well as four sisters, Betty, Edna, Annabelle, and Clara Jo; and three brothers, Dallas, Ralph, and Lynn; and an infant granddaughter.

She is survived by her brother, Frank Edwards; and four children, Jack Dan, James (Sharon) Dan, Linda (Steve) Hamrick, and Mark (Mindy) Brinkman; seven grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.

Carolyn was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, who took care to fill our days with love, especially our birthdays and holidays, and attended our countless shows and sporting events, giving us support and encouragement especially when our performances might have been less than stellar.

She was a fan of both IU and Purdue, as well as Ball State, ISU, and IUPUI sports teams, equally supporting all our college choices, and proudly wearing the athletic wear of each.

She enjoyed bowling in her younger years earning several trophies which she modestly never displayed.

She loved to laugh and make us laugh, whether she was giving the family dog the first bite of the sandwich Bill had just meticulously prepared for himself, replying to a slow response to a question with a cartoon voice, or purposely giving us a huge toothy grin after eating Oreos.

She was strong and fearless, working in factories to single-handedly support her family of three kids for several years in the 70s, and later taking on the challenges of running a business office for 30 years as a general contractor.

She had a huge collection of cookbooks and was the go-to at family gatherings for her homemade BBQ ribs, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and potato salad; she also liked to sew clothing and do embroidery.

She enjoyed her two episodes of Little House on the Prairie in the afternoon, all her Food Network cooking shows, and keeping QVC in business.

She also enjoyed the music of Tom Jones and Mac Davis in her younger days, seeing musicals, and later hearing Mandy Patinkin sing.

She was our Google since long before it existed, and we thought she was the smartest person we knew.

And she loved all of us as much as we loved her.

We’re confident she’s now in heaven with family and friends she’s missed, feeling no pain, and enjoying her mom’s fried chicken, a big bag of Cheetos, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup while she waits for us.

Although we already miss her, one day we know we’ll all be together once again to enjoy her hugs and the sound of her laughter.

We would like to thank the caregivers at Brickyard Healthcare for looking after mom with such care and compassion; we appreciate you all.

There will be a visitation for Carolyn from 2pm to 5pm on September 17, 2022 at the Family Life Center at Emmanuel United Methodist Church at 16000 Cumberland Rd, Noblesville, Indiana.

Memorial contributions may be made to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at the following link:

https://give.stvincent.org/PMCH