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Carolyn Ham Mobley, a dedicated servant of Jesus Christ and a friend to many, entered the presence of her Lord and Savior on August 29, 2021, following a long illness. She was 91.

A memorial service will be held locally at a later date, as will a graveside funeral service for family in Jackson, Ga.

Born Carolyn Ham on April 25, 1930, in Jackson, Ga., she was the youngest of two daughters of Daniel Webster (“DW”) Ham and Ethel Head Ham. She graduated from high school in Jackson and earned a bachelor’s degree from Tift College. After graduating she worked as a church secretary and on a trip to Thomson, Ga., met Marion (“Mack”) Mobley, a student at the University of Georgia with whom she fell in love and married in 1953. Together they entered lifelong Christian ministry that included Midway Baptist Church in Princeton, Ky., High Point Baptist Church in Covington, Ga., and serving as Southern Baptist missionaries in Japan for nearly 15 years.

Throughout her life as a ministry helpmate, Carolyn shared the grace and love of Jesus Christ by loving deeply and praying unceasingly. Having a heart for people and a desire to help others made Carolyn a magnet for those who did not “fit in”. She treated everyone like family, and each person found they held a special place in her heart.

While in Japan, it was not unusual for her to receive a call from Mack who was evangelizing merchant seamen on freighters to inform her that he was bringing home a group of South African or Indian seamen to join the family for dinner. It was a welcome relief for these men who worked on freighters for months at a time. Regardless of who sat at the table, conversation ultimately turned to their families and the challenges they faced through distance and time. Carolyn relished hearing their stories, challenges, and disappointments. While often in the shadows, cooking and serving, she always prayed, and she would add prayer requests to her list and to her Bible. When she told someone she would pray for them, that was a sure promise.

She also was a “second mom” to kids growing up in Japan whose parents were either missionaries or assigned to Japan by their companies. She accepted each for who they were, never judging, always available to listen and enter their worlds and lives upon invitation. She asked questions with kindness and compassion, hoping to learn more to help meet a need and provide an inroad to share the Gospel of Christ.

In 1981, soon after leaving Japan, Carolyn and Mack arrived in Bainbridge. Supporting Mack in his role of Director of Missions with the Bowen Baptist Association, she served as the office secretary and wrote, edited, and produced the association newsletter. Later she earned a master’s degree in Family Counseling

from Troy University.

Bainbridge became home for Carolyn. Her Bainbridge First Baptist Church Sunday school classmates and others were her cherished friends, confidants, and fellow prayer warriors. Always committed to encouraging, admonishing, and loving, she tried to stay in touch with those whom the Lord brought into her life. And there were many — inside and outside the church, family, missionaries and their kids, those she helped mentor and build up, and those who needed hope that only Jesus Christ provides.

Carolyn believed deeply in the ministry and mission of Friends Ministries and volunteered at the Friendship House. She believed that by loving and encouraging the youth of Bainbridge, the Lord would touch and change lives.

As a mother, Carolyn gave all she had and believed the best of her three sons, Ron, Wendell, and Carey. Her Bible was filled with scraps of paper with Bible verses of God’s promises that she prayed over her sons. Always gracious and patient, her main desire was that her sons would have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Carolyn loved praising God through singing and playing the piano. Even in her last weeks of living, though she could recall little else, she would join in singing hymns over FaceTime with family, remembering all the words and singing in harmony.

Survivors include her children, Ron Mobley, married to Theresa, of Bainbridge, Ga.; Wendell Mobley, married to Ana, of Moorpark, Calif.; and Carey Mobley of Hong Kong, formerly married to Maria Fe Mobley of Aliso Viejo, Calif.; her grandchildren, Malorie, Christopher, Daniel, Matthew, and Jacob; and her great-grandchildren, Eleanor and Mabel. In addition to her parents, Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Marion “Mack” Mobley, and her sister, Margaret Ham Caldwell.

Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.bryantfuneralga.com. Memorial donations may be made to Friends Ministries, PO Box 513, Bainbridge, Ga. 39818, or the Alzheimer’s Association .

The family sincerely appreciates the heartfelt caring and support of all those with Kindred Hospice, especially Joanna Hatfield, the outstanding case manager who

always was available and gave her best.

Bryant Funeral Home, located at 105 N. Florida Street, is assisting the family with arrangements. (229-246-3321)