Ethel Easterling Carter, 88, widow of Linwood I. Carter, of Orangeburg, SC, passed away April 7, 2015, at the Regional Medical Center.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, April 10, 2015, at Bowman Southern Methodist Church, Bowman, SC, with the Reverend John Konieczko officiating. Burial will follow in Bowman Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends, Thursday, April 9, 2015, from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Dukes-Harley Funeral Home. Honored to serve as pallbearers are David Carter, Travis Carter, Cole Parks, Brannon Tidwell, Randy Boland, Ronnie Weathers, David Funchess and Albert Pendarvis.

Ethel was born August 25, 1926, in Bowman, SC. She was the daughter of the late Claude D. Easterling and the late Ruby Austin Carter. She was a graduate of Bowman High and was the President of her Senior Class. Her leadership role resulted in many class reunions and she loved the fellowship of her classmates. Her first job out of High School was working as a bookkeeper in the ports of embarkation for the US Navy in Charleston, where she also worked in her spare time for the USO, serving the needs of the injured service men from World War II. When the man who became the love of her life, Linwood, returned from World War II, they settled in Bowman to build a home and raise a family. Her career spanned for 70 years working as a bookkeeper for Weathers Farms then Ballard Auto Parts, from where she retired. She was a state member of WTCU, Gladys Weathers Missionary Society, Bowman American Legion Auxiliary, and West Middle Fellowship Club. She was a loyal church member of Bowman Southern Methodist Church, her pew was never empty. She taught Sunday School and thoroughly enjoyed her duties as the roll caller at church. Her Sunday role call included birthdays and special occasions for the congregation. One of her joys was to communicate using the card and letter to keep people informed with local events and to make people feel special. She's missing from earth but not from her family's memories.

Survivors include her son, L. Ike Carter, Jr. and his wife, Sherry, of Bowman, SC; a son-in-law, Craig Smith; a daughter-in-law, Jane Carter Eason; six grandchildren, Sharon Smith, Lindsey Carter-Tidwell (Brannon), Leslie Carter (Cole Parks), David Carter (Meghan), Steven Smith and Travis Carter; four great-grandchildren, Carter Tidwell, Clara Carter, Ann Frances Tidwell and Jack Parks; and special friend, Lucy Strock, and her daughter, Hannah. She was predeceased by her son, Leslie Wayne Carter and daughter, Linda Carter Smith.