Tribute

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Kelli Miller

	Georgia Emma Metz Carter July 27, 1915 – October 21, 2010 My grandma was a huge influence in my life. We were fortunate to live so near to her, and being the only grandchildren my brother & I spent a lot of time with her.
She instilled in me an appreciation for the world around me. When I was little she & I had an ongoing project, creating a scrapbook of bird species with pictures cut out from magazines and calendars. She & Grandpa liked to take Kyle & I camping. I loved spending time with her in her flower and vegetable gardens. (I wish she had instilled in me her touch with violets and houseplants!) I think her love of travel stemmed from this joy and wonder at the beauty and variety of many places on earth…she visited a majority of the states, including Alaska & Hawaii, many of the national parks, and even England & Ireland.
Grandma was a very creative person, and shared that with me in so many ways. We made dollhouse furniture out of things like milk caps and empty thread spools. She made beautiful quilts for my brother & I; she helped my mom sew my junior prom dress and my winter formal dress. She taught me a craft called “quilling” for a 4-H project. I’m especially grateful that she (& my mother) taught me how to sew – it’s a skill I’m so glad I have now.
She was a torch bearer for family history and traditions and honoring those who’ve come before us…writing our family histories for local history books; making the traditional Carter “Plum Pudding” at Christmastime; and arranging to have a headstone placed on one of my grandpa’s ancestor’s unmarked grave. She was the family genealogist and story teller.
As I sat and thought about all of this, it was amazing to see how many of the things I find joy in – national parks, photography, writing, craftwork, and genealogy – have their root in experiences I shared with her.
But there’s one area where I’m especially inspired to follow in her footsteps. Grandma was a model of the Gifts of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22) She lived out each & every one of these qualities in her daily life; in her relationships with family and friends; in her service to her church, her community and her world.
She always said, “I don’t say I’m lucky. I say I’m blessed.” It might be just a bit of semantics to most people, but to her it was an important distinction. It was her way of acknowledging that God was the source of all good, and of strength and comfort in her life. I have a long ways to go to meet the standard she set. I’ll miss her terribly. But I know as I work to claim these Gifts for myself she will be always present with me.

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One Response to Tribute

Kris Bair says:

November 30, 2010 at 10:04 pm

So sorry to hear about your loss (and yes, I am terribly behind!). She sounds like a wonderful lady – so glad you have your memories of her!
Kris

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