GEORGIA CAROL SHELDON
1932 - 2023
Born in Lancaster, California, in 1932, Carol Sheldon (born Georgia Carol Early) moved with her parents, Georgia and Lee Early Sr., to Bishop in the mid 1930’s, where her father opened and ran the Western Auto store. She and her younger brother, Lee Jr., grew up on Early Ponds, where her father had built three ponds and several houses, across the highway from Meadow Farms Country Smokehouse. After World War II, Lee Sr., along with two good friends, bought 45 acres of land out of town along Bishop Creek for their families. There, Carol’s new husband, Philip Partridge, built homes for the two of them as well as for Carol’s parents. The Canyon became home, and Carol raised two children, Phyllis and Alan, and lost one child, Linda, there.
Later in Carol’s life, she had grand medical adventures with her second husband, David Sheldon, who was a pilot and doctor with the Hope program and Doctors without Borders. As his nursing assistant, Carol traveled to Mexico, Honduras, American Samoa, Afghanistan and St. Lucia. Together, they treated patients, trained local doctors and health care workers, and helped build hospitals.
Carol was raised in the Episcopal church, St. Timothy’s being her home-away-from-home. She was, from its beginning, the church organist and sang in the choir. Her angelic soprano voice filled the church and she shared it on many occasions with others through community events, concerts and the like. She was also a lay minister, served through many offices within the church, was a first volunteer at St. Timothy’s Attic and was involved with various outreach and missionary endeavors. Perhaps her favorite day of the year was the Feast of St. Francis, when she was able to bring her beloved Seri, a black and white springer spaniel, to church with her to be blessed with the other pets and their parents. Carol’s faith was unwavering and filled her with joy.
Carol was an indomitable spirit in a tiny body. She was stubborn and independent, insisting on doing for herself, yet she helped everyone she knew. And she did it all accompanied by her crystalbell laughter and her instantaneous smile. To her, every day was the most beautiful day she had ever seen. She loved everyone. All who married into her family considered her their mother or grandmother. Everyone was her friend, and every friend was family.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Lee Early Sr. and Georgia; her first husband, Philip Partridge and daughter, Linda Sue Partridge, and her second husband, David Sheldon.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Lee Early Jr. and Carol; her daughter, Phyllis Bateman, and her son and daughterin-law, Alan and Julie Partridge, as well as 5 grandchildren and 13 (and counting) great-grandchildren.
A celebration of Carol Sheldon’s life will held at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, on the corner of jeough St. and Hobson St., Bishop, on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.