Margaret Carter

Margaret Carter was a “glass half-full” kind of gal. She was a very determined, hardworking woman, who always kept a level head and an open heart. She faced her share of challenges in life, yet also her share of successes. Margaret was a loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend, and a woman who reached for your hand, touching your heart.

Margaret’s story began on a cool fall day in 1943, in the little town of Harrisburg, Arkansas, not far from Memphis, Tennessee. Those were times of heroism and resolve in this country, which was united in its mission to fight World War II, from the battlefields overseas, to the farms and the factories here at home. On November 16, 1943, Robert and Mary (Allred) Hood celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Margaret.

Margaret was the first of the couple’s nine children, and being the oldest, she had plenty to do around the home when she was growing up. Indeed, Margaret did much of the raising of her little brothers and sisters, while her parents looked for work.

Times were tough in those days, especially in the South, and the family moved around quite a bit when she was young, staying with relatives while her parents worked in the cotton fields, in addition to her dad’s work as a truck driver and bulldozer operator. They lived at times in Arkansas, Arizona and also Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they had family and visited often.

Despite the hard work and the frequent moving, Margaret grew up in a very loving family, and had many warm memories of her youth. She fondly recalled riding around in her dad’s giant white station wagon, exploring so many amazing places, from the Indian Reservation nearby, to chasing — and being chased by — wild horses in the mountains of Arizona (they never caught one, though).

Margaret went to school primarily in Arizona, attending the Unit 1 School in Glendale through the eighth grade. When Margaret was a young girl living in Arkansas, she met the son of family friends, a young man named Alvie Vernon Carter. They kept in contact as they got older, and eventually began dating and fell in love. The young couple was married in Michigan on April 22, 1960, when Margaret was just 17.

The newlyweds settled in Ft. Smith, Virginia, where Vernon was stationed in the military. It wasn’t long before the new bride and groom became mother and father, as well. They started their family in Ft. Smith, and before they knew it, they were the proud parents of three wonderful children, Alvie, David and Lisa.

Margaret and Vernon divorced in 1968, and she packed up her three small children and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where her mother was living, there she met a man named Gene Gaither, fell in love and was blessed with another daughter she named Debra. The young, newly-single mother settled into a home on the northwest side of the city, and found work at a factory, one of several factory jobs she worked over the years, eventually settling at Miller Metal.

Margaret was a very strong woman, and very determined to provide the best for her family. Despite the challenges she faced, she always remained positive and believed in herself, approaching life with a “glass half-full” attitude. She also was very positive and forgiving to the people around her, never said a bad word about anyone, and always saw the good in people.

Margaret was an amazing mother, who always put her family’s needs ahead of her own. While times weren’t always easy on the single parent, she made sure every child’s birthday was celebrated with gifts, even when she didn’t have the money to spare. She was also a wonderful cook, and her meatloaf was truly a thing of beauty.

Margaret also had a tremendous sense of humor, and the family had lots of fun together over the years. They traveled often in the summertime, including special trips to Disney World, the Smokey Mountains, and a memorable trip to Mackinac Island, too. They also visited relatives in Canada and Arkansas over the years.

Family was always first and foremost to Margaret, and she was very close to her entire extended family. She visited her aunts, uncles and cousins often, and was especially close to her brothers and sisters, who she helped raise. She and her mother were exceptionally close, and Margaret loved having her close by in Grand Rapids with her.

Margaret had many hobbies and interests of her own, as well. She enjoyed crafts of all kinds, and painted many small wooden pieces which adorned her home. She was also an avid reader, and could devour an entire romance novel in a single day! As much as she read, she wrote even more, and kept a journal every day of her life, filling it with so many fond memories.

Margaret had a serious sweet tooth, too, and loved going to the candy store for some Whoppers, or a Slurpee or a popsicle. Her favorite restaurant of course had a candy counter, where she always bought in bulk!

But more than anything, Margaret loved her whole family, around which her life truly revolved. She was the family messenger, who was quick to call with news, and whose phone always rang first. When her beloved grandchildren arrived, she loved to share stories about them with anyone within earshot.

Sadly, Margaret lost both of her parents in the 1990s, first her father in 1992, and later her beloved mother in 1998, which was very hard for her. Through it all she remained upbeat and positive, just as always. Then, in the 2000s, her own health began to decline, and she passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, with her children and family at her side. She was 64.

Margaret was such a wonderful woman, who devoted her life to caring for her family. She was a dynamic, determined woman, upbeat and positive, who triumphed over many challenges in her life. More than anything, Margaret was a loving daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother, and a woman who reached for your hand, and touched your heart. Today her heart lives on in all who knew her. She will be greatly missed.

Margaret was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Eisner and her father Robert Hood her brother Ron Hood, her sister Robbie Westbrook and a nephew James L. Hooker, her daughter-in-law Marie Farley. Surviving are her children: Alvie and Melissa Carter, David and Roberta Carter, Lisa DuBridge and Craig Smith, Debra Carter and companion Laura Lentz; 12 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, her step father Orval Eisner, her brothers, sisters: Robert Hood Jr., Karen (Bruce) Lancaster, Denice (Vince) Alighire, Harold (Myrna) Eisner, James and John Eisner and several nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank her special friends, Ralph and Gloria and the members of Hospice of Michigan for their special care and service. A service celebrating Margaret’s life will be held Sunday at 3 P.M. at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Van Strien - Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield N.E. Interment will be in Fairplains Cemetery. Margaret reposes at the funeral home where relatives and friends may meet her family Saturday from 7-9 P.M. To share a memory or sign the online register book please visit www.lifestorynet.com