Bertha Belle Carter

Bertha Belle Carter was born August 12, 1923 in Marshall County Alabama. She was the sixth of eight children (5 brothers, two sisters), born to Miller and Laura Carter. She was the last to pass ----March 17, 2016 in Ormond Beach Florida. She had moved with her daughter and son-in-law in October 2014 to be near her youngest grandson and family. She is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons who called her "Gma" and five great grand children who called her "Granny" all of which she was very proud.

Her family farmed in Marshall and Jackson counties. She received her high school diploma from Pisgah High School, Pisgah, Al. In 1943 she started nursing school in Scottsboro, Al. During this time, she became a pen pal with a friend of Jack Carter, Bertha's brother. The pen pal was another Carter. In this case, Jim Carter of Columbus, Ga.

The two soldiers were assigned to the same unit on Guadalcanal. After both were hospitalized and discharged early, the two best friends headed home from war. In early September 1944 they got to Jack's home in Alabama where they stopped to rest and so Jim could meet his pen pal. When Bertha found out her brother and her pen pal were "coming home" she was determined to get home to see them. Her school wouldn't give her the time off so she left anyway. Once Jim and Bertha met, you might say, "that's all she wrote" because he wouldn't leave Alabama without her. So, they were married in Scottsboro, Alabama - October 17, 1944.

The newly wed couple arrived in Columbus, Ga in November 1944 where they lived on 17th street where their only child/daughter, Sherrel, was born. In 1957 they moved to 12 th Ave then 1959 built a home in Winchester. Shortly after their move they heard of a new church forming and meeting in a home in Rosemont ---the family became charter members of Epworth UMC. They worked in all capacities--- ice cream socials, BBQs, yard sales, clean-ups, dinners, men's club, bake sales, cake auctions, quilting group, circles, Sunday school etc etc.

They remained in Columbus until their health needs, especially Jim,s, became more than they could manage alone. They moved to North Carolina to be near their daughter. Sadly, Jim passed away within a few months on Jan 1, 1998. Bertha lived in her new house until late spring of 1998--- she was so lonely and missed the friends and activities at Epworth. As luck would have it she found a wonderful house on st Francis Ave, directly cross from the church. She was happy as a clam working and volunteering at church -- spending hours quilting, doing counted cross stitch and transforming her yard into a flower showplace.

In November of 2000 she had lung surgery at St Francis Hospital. She never completely regained her health. She had to sell her house and move, once again, to be near her daughter who by then lived on Hilton Head Island, SC. Bertha lived in independent and assisted living on Hilton Head until the move to Florida in 2014.

She had survived colon cancer, uterine cancer and breast cancer but couldn't battle the congestive heart failure and pneumonia.

She will be happy to be back in Columbus--- her final resting place beside her beloved husband at Park Hill Cemetery.