Carole W. Clayton, 69, died at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 30, 2004, at Life Care Center in St. Louis, after a brief illness.

She was born Aug. 12, 1934, in Breakbell, Ark., daughter of Lawrence Clayton and Cathran Irene McCord Wilson.

Mrs. Clayton graduated from Charleston High School in 1951.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Clayton was active in many civic events. She was the founder of Sing Out Sikeston!, a member of Sikeston Community Choir, a Girl Scout troop leader, and participated in United Way campaigns many years. She had numerous lead roles in Sikeston Little Theatre and directed the musical Oliver in 1970.

She was active in the Church of Christ and the First Christian Church in Sikeston many years. At the time of her death, she was a member of Overland Church of Christ in St. Louis.

Mrs. Clayton had been owner of Carole's Fashions in Sikeston, a children's clothing shop. She later started Magnolia's Bakery, a small bakery and lunch shop.

Along with Richard and Jerry Kinder, she opened Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge in Cape Girardeau, where she served as the first food and beverage director. She later worked for Mid America Hotels at Cape Girar-deau Holiday Inn, and later joined corporate Holiday Inn where she served in several capacities in the St. Louis area.

During her extensive career as food and beverage director, she managed the Charleston, Sikeston and Cape Girardeau country clubs. She was an advertising representative for the Southeast Missourian Newspaper, and at the time of her death was a real estate agent with ERA Cape Realty.

She is survived by three children and a daughter-in-law, Lee Clayton McMurray, Judy Clayton Wiese, David Wayne Clayton, and Sheila Kay Clayton, all of St. Louis. She has three grandchildren, Christopher David Wiese, Madeleine Ann McMurray, Jessica Dawn Little of St. Louis; and a great-granddaughter, Grace Elizabeth Moore. Additional survivors include two brothers, Glendon Lavelle (Vauda) Wilson of Memphis, Tenn., and Louis Calvin (Beni) Wilson of Little Rock, Ark.

Although her beautiful singing voice is not now audible to us, it is not forgotten. She was a great mother, great grandmother and great friend to many. We miss you Mom, but God has called you home. We look forward to the day when we will meet again.

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Dennis Lowe officiating. Burial will be in Garden of Memories Cemetery at Sikeston.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1440 W. Washington, Chicago, Ill. 60607, www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.