Lillian Patton Carter

Lillian P. Carter, 103, entered eternal life in her sleep at her home in Union, N.J. on Nov. 25, 2012, surrounded by loving family members A memorial service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Westfield, 170 Elm St., Westfield, N.J. on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, at 11 a.m. Interment services were private in Hollywood Memorial Park. Lillian was born at home in Newark, N.J. on Jan. 1, 1901, the eighth of nine children of William Aaron and Elizabeth (nee Morris) Patton. She grew up in Newark and Hillside, N.J., attending the Miller Street School and graduating from Hillside High School in 1927 and Newark Normal School (now Kean University) in 1931. She worked in the Newark Museum and then as a third grade teacher in Hillside's Washington School from 1934 to 1938. Lillian married John Deward Carter in 1938 and moved to Union Township, N.J., where she resided in the same home for 74 years. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Union (ABC) for many years while raising her two daughters. She was a Sunday school teacher and the Sunday school superintendent in the 1950s and was the director of the church's vacation Bible school, which, with over 300 children, was one of the largest vacation Bible schools in the state. Lillian was a kind, giving and highly principled Christian. Lillian is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth C. Hanscom and her husband, Warren, of Westfield, N.J.; her late daughter Eugenie's husband, George D. Enslee, of Mountain Lakes, N.J.; six grandchildren, Katherine E. Hanscom of Amesbury, Mass., David C. Enslee (Cheryl) of Woodbridge, N.J., Margaret Hanscom (Robert Whattam) of Cranford, N.J., Elizabeth Rebecca Hanscom of Norristown, Pa., Thomas C. Hanscom of Hoboken, N.J. and Amelia E. Munning (Evan), formerly of Mountain Lakes. She is also survived by her nephews, George T. Carr Jr. (Eleanor) of Bethel, Vt. and niece, Jane Patton Amante of West Orange, N.J. and many grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her daughter, Dr. Eugenie Carter Enslee, in 1996; her husband, John Deward Carter, in 2004; sisters, Alice Costello, Molly Patton, Jane Martland Patton, Hazel P. Manser and Ruth P. Carr, and brothers, William and Kenneth Patton. and nephews, Allen Carr and Nicholas Patton and, in 2011, dear family friend, Rev. George J. Sheridan. The family is very grateful to Lillian's home caregiver for many years, Doris O. Darko, and also to Benedicia Okoe for her caregiving in Lillian's final weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts in Lillian's memory to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 3124, Union, N.J. 07083-1924 or to a charity of your choice