Virginia "Carol" Dawson Cotten Jakubczak, 74, Harrisonville, Missouri, died Friday, July 22, 2016 at St. Luke's East in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 30 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Children's Mercy Hospital, Department of Philanthropy, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Carol was born August 30, 1941, near Osceola, Missouri. Born to Lillian and Espie Dawson, she was the youngest of 7 children. Carol was 8 years old when her family moved to the farm south of Harrisonville, which gave her a great opportunity to walk to the country school and attend a country church. She joined the Daugherty Methodist Church at the age of 10, and after graduating from Harrisonville High School in 1959, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri and worked at various places. In 1962 she married Don Cotten, from Lake Ozark, Missouri, and daughter Virginia Lynne was born to this union on March 15, 1963. Carol married James T. Jakubczak in August of 1968. Jim brought 3 children, Dana, Elizabeth, and Michael into this marriage.

After Jim retired, they sold the family home in Kansas City, Missouri, purchased a motor home, and traveled throughout the United States, always coming back home to Missouri in the summer months so they could spend time with their children and grandchildren. Carol and Jim were volunteer campground hosts in several different state parks in Missouri and Florida.

After Jim's death on November 9, 2000, Carol sold their motor home and moved into an apartment. She enjoyed spending time with family, friends, and scrapbooking. She was a member of the local Red Hat Club, known as "The Foxy Ladies of Harrisonville".

Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, mother, Lillian, father, Espie, brother, Tom Dawson, and sister, Mary Zumwalt. She leaves behind daughters, Lynne Hyatt, Dana Barker, and Elizabeth Danskin; son, Michael Jakubczak; grandchildren, Paul and Taylor Barker, Julie and Matthew Danskin, Katie and Sam Jakubczak, Nicole and Coby Roney; great-grandchildren, Nora and Amelia Barker; sisters, Betty Hughes and Dolores Bassett; brothers, Bill Dawson and Bernie Dawson, and many nieces and nephews.