- Date Of Birth: September 29, 1927
- Date Of Death: May 19, 2016
- State: Georgia
William Hardy Carter (Bill), 88, of Newnan, surrounded by family at his bedside, died May 19 at Avalon Health and Rehabilitation. Bill Carter, the oldest son of seven children including four girls and three boys, was born into a farming family in Menlo, Georgia.
During the depression, Bill learned all he knew about farming from his mother and father, Emma Key Carter and George H. Carter and his grandfathers from both sides of the family. For over 50 years, Bill put his knowledge to work gardening his own small piece of property in the city limits of Newnan. Although Bill grew up a farmer, he spent most of his adult life as a salesman. Bill was drafted into the army in 1945 during World War II, which ended as Bill was going through training. He finished out his year in the Army, but never ceased to forget about his basic training, rifle qualifications, and forced marches for the next 70 years. He could remember the names of fellow soldiers in his unit and what he had for lunch in the chow hall. After being discharged, Bill held a variety of sales jobs in the Trion and Summerville, Georgia area including running a rolling store (merchandise on wheels), working as a butcher, and as a department store salesman. It was the retail clothing sales job that led him to Newnan in the mid-1960s. Bill was hired as a salesman at the men’s clothing store, Barnett St. Johns, on the Newnan Court Square in what is now Fabianno’s Pizza. Bill worked at BSJ for a few years and then went to work for Hayes Men’s Clothing Store in the early 1970s.
In 1975, Bill had an opportunity to buy the owner out and purchased the building and inventory, and started Carter’s Men Shop, which is currently the Thai Restaurant, Garlic, located on the Newnan court square. Bill loved owning his own business and loved having his family a part of the business; his wife, Laura; daughter, Ann; son-in-law, Bruce Elrod; grandsons, Lee and Joe Elrod, and even his oldest grandson’s girlfriend, Janet Tipton Elrod, all spent time working in the store, especially during the busy Christmas holiday seasons. Always generous with his money, he paid commissions for anyone who could sell a suit and offered free alterations on his suits and pants. Bill also had the only Western Union Office in Newnan, which he ran from inside his clothing store. With Newnan growing with big box stores, Bill decided to close his doors in 1989 so he could settle into a more peaceful life to tend to his garden, attend his church, and spend time with his family. He delivered the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a few years to earn a little extra money but mostly enjoyed tending to his garden and working around his home in Newnan. Bill was a devout member of the Church of Christ and held the position of Treasurer at one time. He rarely missed a Sunday or Wednesday service and insisted on going to church even after going to the nursing home. Bill was a gentleman in every sense of the word and meaning and always had a positive outlook he shared with others. He always looked forward to his first seed catalogs arriving in the mail so he could start planning his garden for spring planting. He loved growing tomatoes and would sometimes put out a hundred tomato plants so he could give them to neighbors, members of his church, and family. Even after it was difficult for him to garden, he would have his great-grandson, James, till the garden spot for him so he could continue to plant.
A child of the depression, Bill was frugal and wise with his hard-earned money but never failed to help his family or offer work to someone who needed to earn some money. Although Bill was frugal, he loved having a new car or truck and up until his last day, talked about buying a new truck. Bill spent his last few conscience hours with his family watching the Atlanta Braves and talking about how much he loved his family. The family wants to thank the Avalon Health and Rehabilitation staff for their love and support of Bill during his stay there; the Downtown Church of Christ for their visits to Bill and steadfast support of Bill and his wife Laura through the years; and the hospice staff of Affinis who provided care to Bill and support for the family during Bill’s last few hours.
Bill is survived by his son-in-law, Bruce Elrod of Moreland, Georgia; grandsons Lee and Joe Elrod of Newnan, Georgia; great-grandsons James and Sam Elrod of Newnan, Georgia; great-granddaughters’ Scarlett and Zoe Elrod of Newnan, Georgia; brothers’ James of Trion, Georgia, and Gene Carter of Menlo Georgia, and sisters’ Jessie Purcell of Love Joy, Georgia; and Gladys Reese of Summerville, Georgia.
