MARY ELIZABETH CARTER

Mary Carter, 89, of San Angelo, passed away Thursday, March 02, 2006 in a local nursing home. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday March 7, 2006 at the Robert Massie Riverside Chapel with Rev. Larry Shotwell and Rev. Tom Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery. She was born Mary Elizabeth Clark in Winnsboro, Texas, August 2, 1916 to Sam Houston Clark and Lula Mae Jennings. She married Fred Carter of Perryton in 1934 and the couple re-located to San Angelo with their infant daughter, Sabra and Mary's parents in 1937. Fred and Mary were together until his death in January 1997. Mary was best known for her work as a professional musician and music teacher. She began her teaching career at the age of nine and attended the School of Music at Baylor College for Women in Belton, Texas. In 1946, Mary's father built a furniture store on North Chadbourne Street in San Angelo. This property eventually became Mary Carter Organs and Pianos. Mary taught hundreds of students over her many years in her North Chadbourne studio and continued to teach from her home after selling the property in 1996. She was also very well known for her local radio show. The show ran from her home Monday through Friday from 1948 to 1970 on KGKL. During those 22 years she was sponsored by Mrs. Boehme's Bread, Key Oldsmobile & Cadillac and Robert Massie Funeral Home. Mary was a staff organist for Robert Massie. She regularly played a variety of social events, church services and private parties throughout San Angelo and the surrounding area. Mary was an active member of the First Baptist Church and its Sarah Sunday School class. Mary also founded a local chapter of the Hammond Organ Club in the mid-50's. She was quite proud of this accomplishment as it brought so many people together to enjoy meals, laughter and entertainment for nearly 25 years. Mary always realized the importance of social events and so often Mary's greatest joy came through her broad variety of relationships. She always appreciated the tremendous support given to her over the years by other professionals, businesses and long-time friends. Mary achieved national notoriety for being a leading collector of figural bottles in the 1970's. She purchased her first figural bottle in 1955 and had amassed a collection of over 3,000 bottles prior to her death. Mary was also a member of the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA) with over a thousand perfume bottles in her collection. Her estate was inventoried during 2005 by Sue Gomez and Chandra Harris, owners of Concho Confetti Antique Mall. Most of the items were sold to other collectors though private auctions and estate sales. Mary Clark Carter was preceded in death by her mother, Lula Mae, her father, Sam Houston, her husband, Fred, her oldest brother Edgar Clark of San Angelo, another brother Truit Clark of Midland, two nieces and a nephew. Mary is survived by her daughter, Sabra Whitley of San Angelo, her granddaughter, JoBeth Eckerman of Seattle, her oldest great grandson, Michael Stroh, currently a student at the University of Idaho and a second great grandson, Dylan Mosshart of Yakima, Washington. The family would to give a special thanks to all the staff of Meadow Creek Nursing Center for all their loving and tender care given to Mary and her family.