COLUMBUS
Born September 28, 1930, Shirley Ann (Jones) Carter was the third of six children born to Grace Lee (Baker) and Hubert P. Jones, of Liberty, Indiana. Shirley grew up on the family farm. She enjoyed being a member of a large family, was an active member of 4-H and was crowned queen of the 8th grade spring dance. She worked for a short time in the Union County Extension Office after high school.
In her senior year of high school, she attended Indiana State Fair Girls School. While at the boy/girl dance, she caught the eye of Joe D. Carter, who was attending Indiana State Fair Boys School. The attendees knew they would be assigned partners for the evening affair. A defiant Joe pointed Shirley out to his friends and announced that he did not care who he was paired with, he would be spending his evening with her. They had never met. As fate would have it, Joe and Shirley were pre-selected as partners. Afterwards, Joe went to great extremes to get Shirley’s contact information, telling his father, she was the one with whom he wanted to spend his life. They married on October 8, 1950.
Joe and Shirley had two daughters, Elaine (Frank) Gilliland of Crossville, Tennessee, and Cheryl (Stan) Smock of Edinburgh. There is one granddaughter, one great-grandson and a great-great granddaughter, all living out of the area.
Family was very important to Shirley. She relished time spent with her immediate and extended family, particularly loving large gatherings and lavish family dinners, setting the table set with crystal, china and her beloved sterling silver. For her family, she was an excellent caregiver and excelled as a nutritionist.
Shirley was known throughout her life for having a generous, kind, and nurturing heart, always having had time to listen and help those struggling with issues.
Her talents were many, but she was particularly known as an avid vegetable and flower gardener, great organizer, talented seamstress and for her skills in the kitchen. Her chocolate cake and yeast rolls were always favorites, and she took great pride in the cookies she brought to the annual church cookie walk. No one ever left Shirley’s kitchen hungry.
As a couple, Shirley and Joe enjoyed square dancing for many years. Their dancing took them to locations across the state and out of state as well.
Shirley was a very willing volunteer, beginning with her days as a room mother while her daughters were in grade school at Booth Setser. She was a 4-H leader and chauffeured numerous kids to and from various events. Many people remember her time as an election worker at the polls.
Shirley was a 73-year member of the Union Community Home Ec Club and had served as an officer for an extended period. She faithfully entered numerous exhibits at the 4-H fair each year and volunteered as a hostess in the women’s building.
She was an active member of the First United Methodist until the time her health began to fail. Her church and her faith were deeply important to her. Together, she and her husband chaired the Hot Meals committee and were heavily involved in many work camp groups. Shirley was a member of Bible study for years, visited elderly shut-in members and helped prepare many a funeral dinner. She was the carrot casserole master for Smorgasbord for years and helped with the Cookie Walk.
Shirley should be remembered for the life she lived. She peacefully departed this Earth on December 3, 2023 after an extended illness. Shirley was 93 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe, grandparents (William P. and Edna (Farr) Jones, parents, Hubert and Grace (Baker) Jones, her siblings (William Jones, Betty Logue, Peg Higgins, Phyllis Mason, and Pat Lineback), her Great Aunt Imo Jones (who lived to be 103 years old) and many, many friends.
It is suggested that Shirley be honored by intentional acts of kindness (something you might not otherwise do) done in her memory. Memorial donations may also be made to Red Bird Mission, or to Union Community Home Ec Club – scholarship fund. Red Bird Mission, c/o First United Methodist Church, 618 8th Street, Columbus, IN 47201, is a Methodist mission project, located in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. Shirley and Joe were very active with Red Bird projects. The Union Community Home Ec Club scholarship fund, P.O. Box 1484, Columbus, IN 47202, provides small scholarships to children and grandchildren of members, and it was important to Shirley.
At Shirley’s request, there will be no public funeral. A private graveside service will be held with Pastor Howard Boles officiating. Shirley will be laid to rest at Carter Cemetery alongside her husband, Joe, and together they will be home for the holidays.
