Carol Harrington:  

This is a copy of the biography I just wrote for our church. Carol Paul and Carol Harrington Paul was born in Flint Michigan of German / Irish descent. He was the son of James and Elinor (Schlaack) Harrington. His father worked for General Motors and his mother was a housewife. Paul was the third of four children, having one older sister and brother and one younger sister. He attended Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Flint, Michigan where he also had his elementary education, through 8th grade. He went to Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw for his high school education and graduated in 1964; from there he went on to Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin, graduating with a BA in 1968. While working full time for General Motors, he returned to college in 1995 at the University of Michigan where he obtained his teaching certificate. Carol Hayes was born in Flint, Michigan, to Irish/English parents. She was the daughter of Russell and Leona (Spencer) Hayes. Her father owned his own business, Hayes and Son heating and air conditioning of Flint, Michigan, and her mother was the bookkeeper. Carol was the baby of seven children, with four older brothers and two older sisters. She graduated from Beecher High School in 1967, and after graduation served one year in the United States Marine Corp. During Paul and Carol's high school years, they lived in the same neighborhood and had many of the same friends but never met because Carol attended the public high school and Paul attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan. They later learned while attending one of Carol's class reunions that Paul knew most of the same kids that Carol had gone to school with. What a small world. In 1972, Paul and Carol were encouraged to go on a blind date by a couple who knew both of them. They really hit it off and started dating on a regular basis. After each date they would go over to Paul's apartment. Paul would sit on the sofa and Carol would sit in the chair. After their third date, Paul placed their coats in the chair so Carol would have to sit next to him on the sofa. What a sneaky guy he was! On March 24, 1973, they were married. The wedding was small and took place at Grace Lutheran Church in Durand, Michigan. They honeymooned on Mackinac Island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One year later they bought a home in Durand where they lived for the following 23 years. They were very active members of Grace and served in many different capacities. Paul worked for General Motors in Flint, Michigan from 1968 to 1998, retiring after 30 years. After retirement he and Carol moved to Greer's Ferry Lake, Arkansas where they bought a beautiful cabin on two acres in the mountains on Greer's Ferry Lake. Paul taught at three different high schools. For one year he taught Civics and was Assistant Varsity Football Coach and Assistant Varsity Track Coach at Central High School in West Helena in the Mississippi Delta. He spent a year in Pine Bluff, Arkansas at St. Joseph Catholic High School, teaching American History, Civics, Sociology, Speech and Health both at the junior and senior levels while also serving as head coach of the girls¿ high school in volleyball, basketball and fast pitch soft ball. While teaching in Pine Bluff and in West Helena, Paul and Carol rented an apartment during the school year all the while still maintaining their cabin home in Greer's Ferry. For his third teaching position, Paul was fortunate when hired at Concord High School in Concord, Arkansas just 20 miles from their cabin. He continued to work at Concord H.S for the next 5 years where he taught, U.S History, World History and Global studies. Paul also volunteered his time as assistant fast pitch softball coach at Girls¿ Senior High School level. Paul and Carol are blessed to have three daughters: Sarah Melissa, Keely Ruth and Brandi Nicole. Sarah is Carol's daughter from a previous marriage, and shortly after Paul and Carol were married, Paul adopted her. She considers him her only daddy. Sarah Melissa was born on May 9, 1971. Sarah graduated from Durand High School in 1989 and went on to attend Michigan State University where she was chosen to enter a program that enabled her and 17 other Michigan State students to attend a university in Japan for one year. While there she was only to speak, read and write in Japanese. At the end of the year, these 18 students spent two weeks in Hawaii where they were to slowly be reintroduced into their native language. While there, Sarah was hired by the Atlantis Submarine corp. to serve as a Japanese interpreter where she remained for the following five years. She also enjoyed sc...Expand for more