Lufkin Leadership

Carrie Stringer

Carrie is a young widowed mother with a big Texas family and a passion for helping people. She lives with her daughter in her hometown of Lufkin, Texas. Carrie has been twice widowed before the age of 35.

She virtually joined the Widow Strong Atlanta Team in July or 2018. She attended the Widow Strong Leadership Empowerment Retreat Weekend in early 2019 in North Georgia and helped host the Texas Widows’ Empowerment Retreat Weekend that early spring.

Carrie is a co-leader of Triumph-Grief Care Group. This grief support team is located at Harmony Hill Baptist Church and is open for new membership. They meet bi-weekly during the school year. This group uses the 180 Your Life from Tragedy to Triumph grief empowerment curriculum created by Widow Strong founder, Mishael Porembski.

Carrie has leveraged her loss into leadership by helping to start and lead Widow Strong- Team Texas. She believes God led her to this widow ministry and says, “Healing is hard work! I am glad I found ways to heal and I love empowering with other widows. It’s so peaceful.”

Paula Warden

Paula Warden is a 20-year veteran elementary teacher in Lufkin ISD where she currently works as a literacy specialist. Her two children, ages 16 and 7, keep her very busy with their various activities. Paula and her children tragically lost their father, Thad, in August 2016 in a car wreck. Thad and Paula were college sweethearts and had been married for 17 years. She and her children are members of Harmony Hill Baptist Church where she is co-leading a Triumph Grief Care group in hopes of helping others who are also working through loss.