By Brad Carter
special to The Star
It was the fall of 1958 and the campus was busy with Greek week rush at UT. There was hardly time to do anything until my Fraternity brother asked if I had met Jan’s new room mate from Gallatin. The blind date was set for a Fraternity rush party and after September 18, I had no time for anyone or anything but Clara Dean who is now known as Mom to her four sons Nate, Mark, Tim and Tom, better known as Cheeseburger. She was a 19 year old teen queen and I was overcome with Dee’s beautiful face, her black hair with brown eyes, a vivacious personality and smile that always lit up a room. The image I have for my bride of 50 years can never be reduced to the emptiness of words and can only be replayed in the visions of my mind.
It was poinsettia time in December and Dee kept telling me that she wanted a red and white wedding that was set for the 28th. We planned as best we could with Dee at home in New Albany and I in Knoxville working through the holidays. We had arranged for our honeymoon at a cabin on Sardis Lake in the winter with snow on the ground and escaped to our hideaway from the wedding party by driving down a sloped embankment to get away. Both of our parents believed we were going to overturn the car and screamed in fear. We got lost on the back roads of Mississippi on two occasions and arrived at our honeymoon cabin later than we planned. Each time we went to eat at a restaurant in Sardis Dee kept saying, everyone knows we were just married and they know what we’ve been doing. Yes, a wedding is a life changing event.
I went back to school and Dee became a research technician doing experiments on the astronauts at the University. After graduation and a fabulous position with Exxon we received a letter of greetings from our friends and neighbors inviting me to service in the US Army. She was a great Army wife and mother as our first son Nate was born. Soon that tour ended and it was back to school for post graduate study and seminary training in Missouri. The population of Missouri increased as Mark came to live in our little home. We moved to Maryland for a special opportunity in ministerial service and an engineering position that was outstanding. Tim arrived in 1963 and blessed our lives as the third son. It was not long before we had the itch to move to Leesburg, VA and bought a farm. It was time for Tom to arrive and he was late for birth. In fact, he often is late to this date. However, we thought we would sleep in one Saturday morning and have a family day with the boys. About 8:00 AM that morning Dee and I both sat up in the bed and said, peaches. Laughter rolled from the boys’ room where we had stored the peaches before the canning process. The boys were having a ball game with two bushels of peaches and were sliding into base on peach juice that covered the floor.
Dee’s father found a job opening in Meridian in 1966 with Tucker Steel and we took it and have not regretted the move. Carter Engineering was started in 1969 and with the challenges of a new business Dee decided that she would leave the stay at home Mom work to employ her abilities in television as she had in Nashville and Memphis WMC-TV. ROMPER ROOM was moving to Meridian and the Baltimore Program needed a local teacher. Forty plus years ago MISS DEE was on live at WHTV every day with children from the Meridian area at 4:00 PM for an hour. If you are in your mid-forties and had a TV you probably watched to see if MISS DEE saw you in her magic mirror.
There is not much glory for a Mom who is totally committed to a family. But, there is a love and respect with the joy of seeing the product of her love efforts as the family matures and enters life. All of the boys graduated from Meridian High. All graduated from college and have given the joy of love in grandchildren. We could take pride in their success as a contractor, electronic engineers or a preacher and yet the fullness of life is in the fact that they are believing Christians with a mission.
How do you sum up 50 years of marriage in a short essay? One can only touch the memories with some of the quotes of our sons. Mark said that he was looking for a special girl that was like Mom, but with a little less fire. Tom never said anything, but he married a girl that many mistake as Dee’s daughter. Nate married someone with hair and style like Mom. While Tim defined his special someone who is quiet, reserved, intelligent and is a great Mom. No, this doesn’t define Dee. In fact, one cannot define that highly motivating force that put everyone on notice as her sons were growing up. Don’t mess with Dee’s boys! No one can argue with that memory that recalls specific detail and the loquacious personality that continues to light up a room when Dee comes around. Friend, wife, lover, mother and special council, you are very special to the family that has shared your life these many years. I love you. Happy Anniversary.
Brad Carter is the husband of Dee Carter and is a former State Senator for Lauderdale County. In 1969 he founded Carter Miller & Associates and has provided consulting engineering services for 40 years in the Meridian area.
