Etha C. Graves Carter (1922 - 1991)

Born on September 9, 1922, in Caswell County, North Carolina, Etha Catherine Graves entered the world as the youngest daughter in a large and loving family. Raised in Stony Creek, Etha grew up in a home filled with siblings and strong values. Her parents, Samuel and Minnie (Blackwell) Graves, instilled in her the importance of education, faith, and community. By the time she was just seven years old, Etha was already enrolled in school—a remarkable act of promise in the segregated South of the 1930s. Her childhood was shaped by the rhythms of rural life, surrounded by brothers and sisters who looked out for one another in a close-knit household. Census records from 1930 and 1940 show Etha living with her parents, siblings, and niece, diligently attending school and helping sustain the household during the Great Depression.

As a young woman, Etha married Richard C. Carter, a military serviceman whose assignments took their growing family across the country and around the world. Their daughter, Renee Ann Carter, was born in 1948 in Columbus, Ohio, and by 1950, the Carters were living in Sacramento, California. Etha, then 27, was a homemaker, supporting her husband and nurturing their daughter in a modest apartment during the early postwar years. In 1955, Etha and her family boarded the U.S.S. General G.M. Randall, departing from New York City for Bremerhaven, Germany, where they would live for three years. The international relocation speaks not only to the demands of Richard’s military service but also to Etha’s resilience and adaptability as a mother and wife navigating life across continents.

Though often behind the scenes, Etha's contributions were no less impactful. After returning stateside and settling in Monmouth County, New Jersey, she became a licensed practical nurse, serving with compassion and dignity at Family and Children’s Services in Long Branch. She also worked as a home economist with the Welfare Board in Red Bank, further extending her care into the broader community.

Etha was deeply involved in civic and church life. She was a faithful member of St. Stephen A.M.E. Zion Church in Asbury Park, a member of the Election Board in Neptune, and active in the Frederick Dempsey Post 266 American Legion Auxiliary. She also belonged to the Alpha Phi Alpha Women’s Club, where her legacy of service and leadership continued through social and civic engagement. Following the death of her first husband in 1980, Etha remarried in 1987 to Willie Leslie Carter, further expanding the circle of love and family in her life. She was a devoted mother to four children, including Richard IV, Samuel, William, and Renee, and stepmother to Leslie and Vincent Carter.

Etha C. Carter passed away on May 22, 1991, in Long Branch, New Jersey, leaving behind a legacy grounded in faith, education, public service, and family. From rural North Carolina to military bases overseas, from the halls of public service to her church pew in Asbury Park, Etha's journey reflects the quiet courage and enduring strength of a woman who gave her all to family and community.

Her story lives on through her children, grandchildren, and the countless lives she touched through her work, witness, and unwavering commitment to serve.

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." – Proverbs 31:26