Obituary of Dorothy Marion Carter

Dorothy Marion Carter Passed away 10/19/17 in Tucson, AZ Survived by her daughter Judy Usefara (Luke), sons Jeff Miller (Lucia) and Doug Miller (Judi); stepsons Larry H. Carter Jr (Petra), and Robert Carter (Sandy); grandchildren Jill Diener, Matthew McNeill, Brian Miller (Dallas), Jennifer Miller, Eric Miller, Sarah Miller, Ben Miller, Zach Miller (Isis); step grandchildren Craig Carter (Christine), Heather Mabe (Nick), Haley Miller Bray (Zach); great grandchildren Alex Conkey, Brandon Diener, Cady Diener, Piper Rose Miller, Cari Miller; Step great grandchildren Michael Carter, Carter Mabe, Madeline Mabe and Zachary Bennett; step great great grandchildren Damian Bray and Micah Bray. Marion was born December 10, 1923 to John Woodson Samples and Stella Floreed Brock Samples, in Halfway, Missouri. She was the youngest of eight children. All of whom have predeceased her. She is also predeceased by her husband Larry H. Carter in El Paso, TX, July 8, 2010. The Samples family moved from Halfway, MO to a farm near Matfield Green and Cottonwood Falls, KS approximately 1925. Marion graduated from high school in Russell KS in 1940, about the same time as Bob Dole, who was later a Senator and Presidential candidate. She met and married Elmer L. Miller from Russell, KS in May 1941. He was an enlisted man at the time but later went to Officer Candidate School around the time of America entering WWII. Their daughter Judy was born April 11, 1942 and Elmer went to war in 1944. Marion and Judy lived with Elmer's sister Helen and her husband Melvin Brady, in Salina, KS during this time. Elmer went missing in action and they were later notified that he was taken prisoner of war by the Germans in France after the Battle for Mortain. After the war was over Elmer was sent to Japan during the Occupation. Marion and Judy followed by ship a few months later. Son Jeff Miller was born in Yokohama, Japan, March 6, 1947. Next was Fort Smith, AK, then Fort Riley, KS. Marion was pregnant when Elmer was assigned to Pusan, Korea late summer of 1950. Son Doug was born March 9, 1951, in Salina, KS. Elmer returned from Korea in August 1952. They divorced. Marion went to Secretarial Training at Brown Mackie Business School in Salina, KS, learning how to type and take Speedwriting to "gt a gd jb w mr pa", was the slogan. Her first job in her adult life was secretarial at Smoky Hill AFB in Salina, then Offutt AFB in Bellevue, NE. From there she would serve in various administrative positions within Civil Service in Denver, CO, Casper, WY, Albuquerque, NM, then with the Drug Enforcement Administration in El Paso, TX. Marion retired from Civil Service in 1984 after 29 years. In 1970 she had met the love of her life, Larry Carter, who was retired from the Army. All her children and his children were grown and no longer living at home. They married in March, 1971, in El Paso, TX. Their temperaments complemented each other. They enjoyed travelling to St Augustine, FL where Larry had grown up, to Colorado where Marion's children were living and to Arizona, where Larry's sons were living. After retirement they took several cruises, to Greece, England, Italy, Panama, and the Caribbean. They took a riverboat cruise down the Mississippi and an tour by Rail across Canada. They were quite the dashing couple, this "Mar" and "Lar." They even spent a few years travelling in their travel trailer! They were married 39 years and had a very good life, until Larry passed away in July 8, 2010. Marion moved to Tucson in January, 2011, to near her family in Tucson and Larry's family in Arizona. Her last four years were spent in assisted living at The Villas at Houghton. We would like to thank them for their very fine care of our mother. Their final wishes were for their ashes to be inurned at Ft Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, TX, where they had lived their happiest years. The service will be Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Ft Bliss. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society or the Animal Shelter of your choice.