Carolyn Webster Crabtree

Carolyn Webster Crabtree (better known as Maw Maw) has gone to be with Jesus on January 25, 2026, and we can only imagine the homecoming she had as she was as close to an angel as you could get. Married to the love of her life, Bill Crabtree, they shared 56 years of marriage, and their home was always filled with love for Jesus, family, friends, life and food, especially sweets. The kitchen was the center of the home where she poured love into every cake, pie and home-cooked meal that was made. Her love for cooking was shared with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in a cookbook she created called "Sweetness Abounds, Maw Maw Carolyn's Favorite Recipes". Her words captured in an article in the local newspaper read "Carolyn Crabtree made a promise to herself years ago, "I said if I ever had a house, I'd have something sweet in it all the time. I've kept true to it."

As the family grew, Second Sunday lunches became their way to keep the family close. She and Bill hosted these lunches every month for many years and always had enough food that they prepared to feed everyone, regardless of the number of people who came.

The beach was Carolyn's "Happy Place" and she loved to spend time with family at Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach where she spent hours on their little boat, fishing, or just sitting on the porch.

Carolyn retired from Farm Credit and was long time member of Lamb's Chapel where she was a Sunday school teacher for the toddlers and a volunteer in the kitchen as part of the "Kitchen Crew".

In addition to her husband, survivors include her son, Steve Conklin of Haw River, NC; stepchildren, Deborah Grissom (Dwight), Carol Stephens (Vann), William I. Crabtree, Jr. (Pat), and Tracy Putzulu (Jeff); grandchildren, Joshua Conklin (Robin), Brian Hucks (Cathryn), Jason Hucks (Melissa), Amy Trinchard (Geoff), Leslie Rice (Steve), Tricia Surles (Richie), Shannon Holley (Reid), Brandon Kerley (April), Lucas Putzulu, Lauren Link (John), Amanda Stephens, and Nicholaus Stephens; 22 great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and a brother, Richard "Dickie" L. Webster.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur Lee Webster, Sr. and Onnie Idell Webster; infant son, Douglas Wayne Conklin; and two brothers, Arthur L. "Al" Webster, Jr. and Arnold "Pop" Webster.

The funeral service will be conducted at The Lambs Chapel, 3539 Alamance Road, Burlington, NC 27215 on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. with the family receiving friends from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at Alamance Memorial Park at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Living Free Ministries.