Carole Appel

Carole Appel, 90, West Plains, Missouri, passed away Sunday, September 14, 2025, at West Vue Nursing Center.  A family graveside service will be held at a later date.

She was born October 13, 1934 at Higgins, Texas to Verl D. and Leila Glisan Litchfield.  Carole attended school in Higgins, Texas.  As a young teen she helped her mother and sisters run the town telephone office.  Carole and her family survived the Higgins tornado of 1947, which destroyed most of the town and blew away their house.  On December 23, 1950, she was married at Higgins, Texas, to Harry Leroy Appel.  Carole lived the life of a Navy wife as Harry served in the Navy for twenty years.  They lived near Navy bases across the country.  Carole was responsible for keeping the home life going as Harry was often deployed on a ship for months at a time.  She was a homemaker most of her life, but worked briefly at a fabric store and a shirt factory.  Two children were born to the family – Linda Kay Hobbs and Thomas Lee Appel.  After Harry retired, they moved to a farm near Marshall, Arkansas where she helped raise cattle, put up hay and care for the farm.  She was a wonderful cook.  Carole loved raising flowers and a big garden.  She enjoyed canning, sewing (making most of her and Harry’s clothes), piecing quilts and hand quilting them and creating crafts.  After forty years on the farm, the couple moved to West Plains to be closer to their daughter and family.  Harry passed away on December 25, 2022, just after they had celebrated 72 years of marriage. 

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Hobbs and husband, Danny; daughter-in-law, Laverne Appel Weems; grandchildren, Bethany Kunz, Jason Appel, Brianne Hobbs and Travis Appel; great-grandchildren, Griffin, Garrett, Maya, Conner, Owen, Reece, Evan, Jacob and Avie; siblings, Dale Litchfield and Verna Beth Morrow; and many nieces and nephews. 

Her parents, husband, one son, Tom Appel, sisters, Norma Brooks, Nona Gray, Gaydean Bucher and Jony Thomas and brother, Don Litchfield, preceded her in death.  

Arrangements under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.