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Dorothy June Carter
06/28/1916 — 01/22/2009
From Richland, WA, US | Born in Puyallup, WA
Dorothy June Carter
Dorothy June Carter
Dorothy June Carter, 92, returned to her heavenly Father on January 22, 2009, she died in her home in the arms of her daughter Shirley. Dorothy was born June 28, 1916 in Puyallup, WA to Axel and Minnie Gabrielson.
On July 14, 1934 she married Allen Blake Carter and they moved to Pasco in 1945. They were sealed in the Logan, UT Temple in 1954. In 1957 the last of the six children were born, and in 1959 Dorothy divorced and moved to Richland where she raised her children. She became a piano teacher and had the first musical kindergarten for preschoolers in the Tri-Cities.
Dorothy volunteered at the Developmental Center, played piano at the nursing homes, and was a foster parent to Elsie Bacon, and volunteered at the Mental Health Center.
She served a Stake Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dorothy also served as the three year old Sunbeam Teacher for 25 years. She loved to read, enjoyed genealogy work and her organic garden. Dorothy ate everything she grew, and she knew what weeds she could grow and eat.
She was probably best known as the tiny white haired old woman who walked everywhere and very fast. Dorothy enjoyed riding the buses too.
She has lived with her daughter Shirley for the last seven years.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her son, David Carter and her daughter Phyllis Carter.
She is survived by her son, Roy Vicki Carter of Prosser, WA; daughters, Marie Mike Brito of Deer Park, WA, Linda Thomas of West Jordon, UT, Shirley Bruce Alger of Richland, WA; nineteen grandchildren and twenty-four great grandchildren.
A special thanks for Dr. Lawrence and to Einan's Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Einan's Funeral Home to help pay for the funeral services for Dorothy. If you have any further questions or comments please call Einan's Funeral Home at 943-1114.
Viewing will be held at Einan's Funeral Home on Thursday January 29 from 5pm-8pm and Friday January 30 from 5pm-8pm and Saturday January 31 from 10am-12pm. The funeral service will take place on Saturday January 31 at the Thayer LDS Chapel at 2pm in Richland followed by interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland.
Mrs. Carter, we can’t thank you, enough, for your patience and guidance in teaching us music. You always made it fun, and you always had a smile. We all will miss you, so much!
Love, Diana, Lola and Skip
I can trace my son’s great interest in music to the year he spent at Mr. Carter’s musical kindergarden. She made a difference to a lot of children.
Dorothy Carter made a huge impression on me. When I was taking piano lessons from her, she figured out that I was starting to lose interest. To keep me going she introduced me to ragtime music and unpublished compositions from prohibition speak-easies. What an unconventional approach – and it worked. I had fun learning and playing the music, it taught me how to read and play syncopation, and she also told me colorful stories related to the songs.
Dorothy knew about all sides of life and all types of people – and she accepted everyone. She was open-minded, creative, loving, and giving. When my dad was working with the Tri-Cities Food Bank, I remember Dorothy Carter walking over to our house to donate to the food bank abundant vegetables and herbs from her backyard garden.
Dorothy’s daughter Shirley and I met while I was taking piano lessons, and we later became good friends. Shirley, you had a great mother who served as an unconventional role model for me. I will remember her forever.
I was sorry to read of the passing of “Mrs. Carter”, as she was known to me from my gradeschool piano lessons and musical preschool. I remember her as a very kind and patient teacher. I’m sure there are hundreds more who owe their love and knowledge of music to this lovely lady.
Shirley I recognized your moms picture and was compelled to read her obituary seeing that yes she was your mom not knowing her but through the Brouns and also not knowing that my mom would go to her resting place within days my thoughts are with you during this trying time for our famlies be at peace that we were loved by such wonderful women.
Shirley, I think of you often, knowing you were the one that was helping your Mother through these last years of her life. You are a wonderful to be there for her in this uncertain time in her life. I thought of her and you often after seeing you at the church Christmas Performance a year ago. I didn’t know your mother very well, but knew she was a sweetie when I would come over to hang out after school she was the best. I aften did see her running through the streets of Richland. My thoughts go out to all of you during this time of loss. It is hard loosing a member of your family specially a Mom. Take Care and know she is in a better place where she is blessed and can remember everything. Our prayers are with you always.
Love you,
I lived next door to Dorothy on Perkins Street in Richland for a few years in the 1990’s – we shared a love of gardening and I have many fond memories of her. One in particular, was watching her race home from the bus stop with her long white hair flying, her arms outstretched and hands cupping a ladybug she caught while across town – she was bringing it home to her garden. She was so pleased and happy about it! Another, was the time I woke in the night to hear Dorothy digging in her back yard …. she told me the next day that the seeds she was planting needed to be laid in the ground by the light of the full moon. Again, she was so pleased and happy about it! I learned a lot about gardening from Dorothy and about the pleasure in simple things – what a lovely spirit. I am happy to have known her and always smile when I think of her. My very best regards to her family. Cindy Bell
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Dorothy June Carter