Carolyn Ann McCauley Terpstra was the oldest child of 3 born to Murray Clare McCauley and Alice Joye (Scarbrough) McCauley. Carolyn was born on January 9,
1933, in Des Moines, IA.
She started school mid-year at Stowe Elementary in Des Moines until her father was transferred to Sioux City with Nabisco, Co as an accountant. Later they moved to a
farm near Monroe and Reasoner and she attended country school. She attended Newton HS for 1 year and then transferred to Monroe where she graduated in 1951.
She then attended Iowa State Teacher’s College, graduating with a Two-year degree in 1953. (She later finished her bachelor’s at Drake University in 1981.) She taught in
Newton for 1 year and then married R. Dean Barr and moved to California for one year of military service. Dean worked for United Airlines, which moved them again to
Omaha. They had 3 daughters.
She divorced and moved back to Monroe where she began her teaching career and met the love of her life, Darrel Terpstra. She taught in Monroe for 23 years. They lived in Monroe until her retirement in 1992, and moved to Altoona, IA. After Darrel’s passing in 2019, Carolyn moved to Copper Shores Village in Pleasant Hill, in 2024. Carolyn
struggled with Vascular Dementia until the end,
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Darrel Terpstra, brother Charles McCauley, brother-in-law, Marv Sloan and 2 nephews. She leaves behind her 3
daughters, Sally (Dan) DeGoey, Judy (Tony) Rivera and Nancy (Dave) Long; her sister Jane Sloan, sister in law, Maxine McCauley, Grandchildren; Aaron DeGoey, Sean
(Breanna) DeGoey, Paula Thompson, Kelly (Paul) Flemming, Brian Van Genderen and David Van Genderen, 8 great grandchildren and 1 great -great grandchild and several
nieces and nephews.
The family will greet friends on Thursday, June 11, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:30 pm at Coburn Funeral Home in Prairie CIty. There will be a celebration of Carolyn’s life beginning at 7:30 on Thursday. Burial will take place at Hewitt Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Suncrest Hospice and condolences left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
