By Doris Frances Carter Rooney
August 1977
I have just finished reading a short sketch or biography by my grandfather Lewis Carter, and one by my father, Oren R. Carter. I felt compelled to carry on this idea, even though my life has not been spectacular. This will, in a way, carry on where my father left off. He died Jan. 1, 1965, very quietly. For several years, he had suffered from emphysema and finally his heart could bear no more. He was 77 years old. His wife, Marie, continued to live in their home in Anderson for some time. She eventually moved to an apartment. In May 1974, she died at a hospital in Indianapolis of a stroke, very suddenly. Marie made Dad very happy during the years they were married, and for that we were grateful.
Before I begin anything about myself, I would like to give a resume about my brother and three sisters. Thelma, the oldest, is 64 and lives alone. Her husband, Paul Greiwe, died in 1966 at the age of 53. Her eight children are all married but two. The oldest, Ed, is a Crozier missionary and is in Indonesia. Ron, the next son, is married and lives in Indianapolis and has three children; Marilyn (Weaver) lives here and has two sons; Rita Kay (Brocki) is divorced and has one son. Jeanette (Carnes) lives here and has one son and one daughter; Jim lives in Georgia and has one son. Joan is unmarried and lives in Memphis, Tenn.; Tom is married and lives in Wabash, Ind.
My sister Rita (Whitworth) is 57 and lives here. She has three children; Saundra (Clairday) lives in Clearwater, Fla., and has two sons. She is divorced. Michael is married and has two sons. Belinda lives at home and will be starting BSU this fall. Pauline, 54, lives near Muncie. Her oldest, Karen (Gray) lives near her, is divorced and has three children; John is married and lives in New Jersey, and has a son and a daughter; Pam (Taylor) lives in Roanoke, Va., and has one daughter; Lucinda lives in Muncie, but works and has her own home. Wayne lives in S. Carolina, is divorced and has one daughter; Connie lives at home and will be entering DePauw U. this fall; Scott is still at home and is in high school. Our only brother John (Jack), 49, is a doctor in Hobart, Ind. He is married and has three children; Mark, married and has one son, is in premed school; Mary Anne (Mimi)
is a junior at Indiana U.; Johnny is in high school at Hobart. As for me I have six children, married to Michael Joseph Rooney, am 62 years old. My oldest, Maureen Grace, 32, is married to David Jarnagin and they have five children, Sheila Ann 13; Margaret Lisa 12; David Stephan 11, Gerald Patrick 8; Sarah Jean 5. Colleen Ann, 30, is married to Donald Morgan and they have three children; Lynn Ann, 13; Donald Joseph 12; Julie Marie 8. Timothy Joseph, 29, is married to Brenda (Kovacs) and she has a daughter 10. Terrence Patrick, 28, is married to Mary (Lukews) and they have Terrence Patrick 7; and Michael Heath, 5. Kathleen Louise, 26, is married to Thomas Davis – no children as yet. They live in Atlantic Beach, Fla. – he is in the Navy. Daniel Kevin, 20, is married to Cindy Jo (Kistler) – no children yet. I will go into more detail later as this “sketch” proceeds.
Grandparents were Lewis and Mary L. Cater of Matthews, Ind. And Peter and Mary (Best) Bott of Muncie, Ind. My father had one sister, Vada (Carter) Wheat (John Payne), and mother had three sisters and a brother. My father also had two older half brothers, Charley and Milo Carter. Mother’s brother was Carl F., her sister is Ida May (Coons) and her two older sisters were Julia (Lilly) Stopper and Eva (Lilly) Bott. My grandfather Carter was married twice, and my grandmother Bott was married to a Mr. Lilly before she married Peter Bott.
As of now, Aug. 1977, all are deceased except Ida, who is 84 years old.
I was born on Feb. 5, 1915, in Muncie, Indiana, Delaware County. Thelma was born Aug. 6, 1913. Rita was born July 14, 1920, Pauline on March 18, 1923, and Jack on July 8, 1928. The last three were born in Anderson, Ind., Thelma and I here in Muncie.
I cannot remember too many details of my early life. Just incidents here and there. One incident when I was about 4 or 5, Dad wanted a 3 generation picture of himself, his mother (who lived with us) and Thelma. I was very upset because I wasn’t allowed in the picture. When the picture came back, there I was in it walking away in a huff, my back to the camera. I liked school, but Thelma didn’t. Mother had to walk her there sometimes at first. We went to St. Mary’s in Anderson. From the third grade on Thelma and I were in the same class. The reasons are a little vague now, but somehow there I was. We used to roller skate to school in nice weather, mostly we walked. Sometimes we rode a street car. When
LEFT: Doris Frances Carter spring 1915; BELOW: Doris and big sister Thelma early 1915; RIGHT: Doris about age 2 ca 1917
Doris Frances Carter was baptized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Anderson, Ind., on May 27, 1923.
we were in the fourth grade a new school was built. A beautiful building, (it’s still there) and the one thing we were happy about were the inside restrooms, also the gymnasium. There was one time when Rita was a baby, we all went for a walk out in the country. There is a picture in the album of us. Sometimes Thelma and I would go swimming (wading for me) in a big new municipal pool in Park Place. That was really something. We also went to the movies quite often and usually had a soda at the drugstore. This was our Sunday treat, and cost each of us 20 cents.
I remember when Pauline was born. Mother developed phlebitis or “milk leg.” Things were very hectic for several weeks. But she finally recovered except for swelling in her legs at times. Dad acquired a used ----Knight car and we sometimes made trips to Muncie to see Mother’s family here. Especially Aunt Ida, who was near Mother’s age. She had a daughter Mary Ellen, who was just nine months younger than me. We had great times together. Mary E. was an only child and she considered Thelma and I more than just first cousins. There are so many memories – suffice it to say that I was happy. I loved to read and spent a lot of time at the public library. Thelma sometimes chided me for putting off household chores so I could finish the book I was reading. I have never lost my love for books.
When Jack was born, a little early, we were sent over to Aunt Lillie and Uncle Carl’s for a while. You can imagine how delighted we were that we had a little brother. I was 13 at the time. Then when we were almost through the 9th grade Dad got work in Muncie. Thelma and I stayed at Aunt Lillie’s until May, then we joined the rest of the family. Times were pretty hard then in 1929, the Depression was telling on everyone. Thelma quit school and worked out in a private home for a while then later on started working at Ontario Mfg. Co. I started in a public school for the first time. It was a little frightening as I was accustomed to the sisters. But I finally got used to it. My biggest problem was clothes. I had two dresses, one with collars and cuffs that could be changed. It was rough.
I forgot to mention my first communion and confirmation and the beautiful processions we had at St. Mary’s. Some of these practices are changed now. Not in importance, but in the way they are received.
Doris, far right, poses for a photo with, from left, Thelma; her grandmother Mary (Sargent) Carter; and her dad, Oren Carter, holding baby Rita (born 1921) at the family home in Anderson, Ind.
The Carter family, ca 1930: Back row, from left, Doris; her mother, Louise (Bott) Carter; her father, Oren; and Thelma; middle row: Rita, left, and Pauline (born 1923); front: John Oren (Jack) Carter, born 1928.
To continue – I went to Central High School and times were still bad. Dad was working nights at Delco Battery. There girls were in the public school, but went to Cathechism at St. Mary’s new church. It was built in 1930, I think. Was in the basement of what would eventually be the school. Father Cyr, the pastor, had been an assistant at St. Mary’s in Anderson when we were living there. Mother began having trouble with her legs. So she went to see a Dr. Cure. He examined her thoroughly and found she had an enlarged inward goiter. This was also straining her heart. After much discussion, they decided to operate and remove the thyroid. But complications arose and she contracted pneumonia from which she never recovered. That was Oct. 31, 1931. I saw her once in the hospital after the
Doris lived in this home on South Elliott Street in Muncie, Ind., at the time of her mother’s death in 1931. (photo taken in 2009)
surgery. I shall never forget it. I went with her and Dad to the hospital – it was her first time in one – and she was laughing about the hospital gowns. That was the last time I saw her alive. I was home peeling potatoes when Dad came to tell us about her. I had never seen a man cry before. It was heartbreaking. I was 16 at the time and Jack was three. Funeral homes were not used for “wakes” as much then, so everyone came to the house. My pretty redheaded mother was gone – she was 36 yrs. old. I know my parents had gone through some trying times, but they loved one another very much.
I quit school to take care of the children. We didn’t want to be separated. About a year before Mother died, I started learning how to be a beauty operator. A friend of Dad’s owned one here in Muncie. Her name was Blanche Thomas and she lived in Anderson – going back and forth on the interurban cars. She taught me in return for helping her with the phone and cleaning the shop. I enjoyed it very much. Dad had a gas marcel heater hooked up in our dining room along with a mirror and little shelf. If I was able to make a little money now and then doing some work at home, when I was about 17 or 18, Blanche decided to move her shop to Anderson. I went with her and stayed at Uncle Carl’s. But didn’t make much money. This was in the summer time, so when fall came I went home to stay with the family. Dad had a very bad sick spell and I was needed. Thelma was still working. Finally when I was 19, I decided to get a job. Rita and Pauline were old enough to look after Jack and we all shared the housework and cooking. I found a job at the Burkey Beauty Salon. At first I did shampoos for the other operators – there were three – did manicures and other odds and ends. Gradually I built up a following of my own. Then in 1936 Thelma was married to Paul Greiwe. Also that year in July, our beloved cousin Mary Ellen Coons died. She was 20 years old. When Thelma was married, she and I and Paul and his best man, Pete Elliott, went directly to her house after the wedding, as she was too ill to attend. She was so happy about that.
We still had some rough times. The girls worked part time during high school and sometimes we had a housekeeper in to take care of things. But that didn’t work out too well. So usually the girls and I managed the house ourselves. We moved several times and were living at 516 East Jackson when I married. I had dated several fellows, but when this came along, it was different. For several years I had been going to the CYO at St. Mary’s. Most of us were young unmarrieds in our
teens and early 20’s. I was dating Tom Bennington, who lived near us on W. 11th St. and he belonged, too. This one summer in 1938 our CYO and St. Lawrence CYO had a combined wiener roast at Memorial Park in New Castle. I was on the committee and this tall, thin, dark haired “guy” was on the St. L. committee. So we got acquainted – his name was Joe Rooney. After the wiener roast most of us went to our CYO club rooms (they were in a house next to the church) and danced and talked. Both CYO clubs had softball teams and we girls would go with them to the games. Luckily one of my friends, Adeline Leitsb---, had a car and usually she and Huber were in her car. The next two years were wonderful times. We went to movies, dances, and private parties and softball games plus other summer activities. In December 1939, Joe gave me a ring. It was not a large diamond, but was certainly beautiful to me.
On March 30, 1940, at 10:00 a.m. we were married at St. Mary’s church by Father Edgar Cyr. Rita was my bridesmaid and Jack Trout was Joe’s best man. We were blessed with a beautiful weekend that year, warm and sunny. Our honeymoon trip was to Cincinnati, but stayed at the Flannery Hotel across the river in Covington, Ky. Needless to say, we were very happy. Both of us went to work on Monday. We already had our furniture in our apartment at 817 E. Jackson St. We lived there three month, then Joe’s parents made their upstairs into an apartment and we moved there. In 1942, on March 17, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, as our country was then involved in World War II. He left for San Diego, Calif., on May 10, 1942. I continued working and living at 724 N. Penn St. It was best to keep busy and the days were O.K., but the nights were lonesome. That summer, I took a month off at work and went to Calif. to see Joe. We had a lovely time even though he was confined to the base much of the time. It was quite a thrill for me to go there on the train. However, he left in Aug. for overseas duty on Johnston Is. a tiny place in the Pacific Ocean. I wrote nearly every day and he wrote as much as he could. Usually I would get several letters all at once. I finally, in Nov. 1943, moved to an apartment with a girlfriend so I could be closer to where I worked. At that time I was working for Vera Frazier in the Western Reserve bldg, and had been since before our marriage.
LEFT: Doris Carter sits with members of her eighth- grade class at St. Mary’s school in Anderson, Ind.
BELOW: The Carter family out for a picnic, ca 1924: from left, Thelma, Doris, Rita, Louise, Pauline
LEFT: Doris with her cousin Mary Coons, shortly before Mary’s death in 1936 at the age of 20. Mary was the daughter of Ida (Bott) and John Coons.
ABOVE: Doris and Joe Rooney in romantic pose. RIGHT: Doris with her tennis-playing boyfriend. BELOW: The young couple.
RIGHT: The sign for Doris at her job as a hair stylist for Vera Frazier in downtown Muncie.
This is the ancestral chart for Michael Joseph Rooney:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=AHN&db=rooney-carter&id=P8
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=AHN&db=rooney-carter&id=P8