Mary E. Carpenter

Mary Ella Carpenter was born January 18, 1947, in Leland, Mississippi to Ed, Jr. and Mary B. Morris. She attended public elementary school in Mississippi until the family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1956. Mary continued her education at Indianapolis Public Elementary School 12 and graduated from Harry E. Wood High School in 1965.

She continued her education in data entry and began working in 1966 at RCA on the assembly line until 1970. In May 1978, Mary resumed her career and began working as a data entry operator at RCA, which later became BMG, until her retirement in January 2002.

In 1964, Mary met DeWayne Carpenter at Wood High School and they were married June 17, 1967. They had two children, Karl and Marian Carpenter.

Mary was a strong believer in Christ at an early age. She joined Allen Chapel AME Church in Indianapolis in 1959. In 1983, Mary became a member of South Calvay Baptist Church. In 1993, Mary became a member of Easter Star Church and actively served on the Children’s Church Ministry until 2020 as well as participated in the Women of the Word.

Mary believed in the power of education and was an avid reader of African American history and culture. She proudly supported the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. as a Charter Member since 2015. Mary was also active in social justice causes and strongly believed in the power of voting. Beginning in the late 1970s, Mary enjoyed traveling around the country with her family. She visited historic sites, museums, zoos, and national parks. By 2016, she had traveled to 49 states.

Mary loved learning and experiencing new cultures. In the early 1990s, she traveled internationally with her husband, DeWayne. They traveled to the Caribbean Islands and countries in Europe, Central America, and South America. Mary’s most memorable trips were to Morrocco, China, Thailand, Greece, Israel, Russia, Guatemala, and Columbia.

Mary Ella Carpenter departed this life on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. She was preceded in death by her parents, nephew, Donnie Morris, and brother, Cornelious Morris.

Mary leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, DeWayne Carpenter, two children, Karl and Marian Carpenter and her two grandchildren, Karlissa and Xavier E. Carpenter.

She will be remembered by her siblings, Eddie Lee Morris, Ellis Morris, Obryth Morris and Annie Rose Morris along with her nephews, nieces, cousins and other relatives, church family and friends.

A visitation for Mary will be held Friday, February 23, 2024, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Eastern Star Church, 5750 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46218, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:00 AM.