Mary Vidaurri Carten

Our mother, sister, aunt, friend, and inspiration, Mary Vidaurri Flores Carten, passed away on September 26, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. She was born on August 24, 1943 in Dallas, the daughter of Secundino and Sara Flores.

Mary lived a remarkable life of 74 years. She and two sisters were dwarfs who with four other siblings were raised by good, hard-working parents. Mary grew up during a time when a Mexican-American child was discouraged from speaking Spanish in school and dwarfism was a social stigma.

As a child, Mary showed signs of the determination that would become a hallmark of her life. Despite physical and medical issues that often accompany dwarfism, Mary would not let them impede living - she magnified her strengths to live a rich and full life. For many years, she could walk without assistance and when old enough, she earned a driver’s license that opened a larger world. When the years began to wear down her small body, instead of slowing down she used crutches to speed up, and eventually used an electric-powered scooter to go to places in her neighborhood, town and the world. She could speak, read, and write Spanish and English, and attended the same middle and high schools as other children in her neighborhood.

Mary dreamt of a marriage, family and home. After completing high school and attending Texas Woman’s University, she pursued various job opportunities in insurance and banking. At the age of 23, she met Mickey Lawrence Carten who would become her husband and with whom she would create the home and family she so dearly wanted. Mary and Mickey married on April 27, 1967 in Dallas. As a dwarf couple, they did not hesitate to show that they could do whatever others could do. They purchased a beautiful home in which Mickey, an accomplished big-band trumpet player, played music Mary loved and would dance to. They owned cars and went on vacations. They were interviewed by local newspapers that wrote in wonderment about the dwarf couple living the American Dream.

Part of that dream was to have children. Notwithstanding the prejudices and difficulties each of them had faced as a dwarf child, Mary and Mickey knew that any child they had, dwarf or not, would be raised in the warmth of a loving, nurturing, and supportive home. After trying for several years, they were ecstatic to learn in early 1970 that they would soon be parents. On December 21, 1970 Mary gave birth to a healthy, beautiful, dark-haired girl.

Mickey doted on his daughter and Mary was overjoyed at the beautiful family she had created. However, in October 1972, Mickey passed away and the life Mary and Mickey had made was shattered.

But, the resolve to succeed which had been a force in Mary’s life carried her. The family was now Mary and Monica, her baby daughter, her ‘babe’. Mary would stop at nothing to ensure they had a wonderful home and that Monica had every opportunity to succeed. With Mary’s encouragement and support, Monica participated in dance, music, scouting and sport. Mary taught Monica the importance of academics and hoped that one day Monica would become a medical doctor.

In addition to being a dedicated parent, Mary lived life with gusto. She easily made friends and loved to talk. She got involved in organizations, especially in one that defined a large part of her life – Little People of America (‘LPA’), a nation-wide organization devoted to the issues and causes affecting dwarfs across America. Becoming president of LPA, Mary helped guide it during the 1980s. Her work took her across the USA, from Alaska and Hawaii to New York and Florida, as well as to Mexico and Australia. And wherever Mary went, Monica went, learning the importance of understanding peoples, marveling at places and appreciating differences.

Mary’s dreams for Monica were realized when Monica finished her college education with honors in Chemistry and Spanish and was accepted into one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country - UT Southwestern in Dallas. Mary was so proud when, four years later, Monica received her medical diploma, and a photographer captured a beaming Mary with Monica, in cap and gown, seated next to her.

Once Monica started her medical career in Denver, Colorado, Mary moved there in 2002. Even though age was demanding its toll, Mary still did not slow down. In Denver, she found joy in snowy days and, not simply content watching the beautiful snow fall, got out into it. When Monica went skiing, Mary would go to the resort and watch her daughter ski down the mountain. But Mary would not settle for just watching – she wanted to ski. So, with modified skis, Mary learned to ski in her beloved Rocky Mountains.

Mary’s outdoor activities weren’t limited to skiing. She river rafted in Colorado. She explored Lake Powell in southern Utah on a houseboat and, when that seemed too slow, she would hop on a jet ski or into a powerboat.

Besides adventure, Mary liked to travel. She would eventually travel to Puerto Rico, to the United Kingdom, and from there through the ‘Chunnel’ tunnel to France on the Eurostar high-speed train and then on to Spain.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Monica Lynn Carten of Barcelona, Spain; caring siblings, Fred Flores, David Flores, and Toni Nunn; loving nieces and nephews; and friends around the world. She is pre-deceased by her parents, her husband, and sisters Esther, Louisa and Nina.

Mary had such a lust for living, and with her ‘babe’ lived a wonderful life. Although our grief at her death is so deeply felt, we celebrate a life lived extraordinarily well. Thank you, Mary, for showing us how to live, thrive, and savor life. We love you.

Sadly, a memorial will be held on Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 2pm-3pm at the Grove Hill Funeral Home, 3920 Samuell Blvd., Dallas, Texas where Mary’s family and friends can share their memories and love for her. Happily, we will celebrate, honor, and toast Mary’s life and memory at a favorite gathering spot of hers – El Ranchito’s in Oak Cliff.