Frances Carol Parnell, of Gulfport Mississippi was born November 12, 1943 the only child of George W. Parnell, a welder by trade that entered the U.S. Army while his young wife, Josephine, was pregnent. Unfortunately, George W. was killed in action, in Belgium 10 days after his daughter's first birthday, in 1944 never having seen her.

Josephine, Carol's mother, reared her daughter with the help of her mother, Frances Krebs and father, Werdnar Robert Krebs. Josephine worked as a beautician out of a shop that W.R. built onto the back of their residence.

Carol has worked as a teacher in the Hattiesburg Public School system since 1970.