Wesley Carter

Wesley E. Carter, age 86, of Battle Creek, passed away Tuesday, June 24, 2014. He was born August 27, 1927 in Willow, Oklahoma the son of Wesley A. and Anna May (Wright) Carter and lived in Mangum, Oklahoma until moving to Battle Creek in 1950 where he was stationed at Fort Custer while serving in the U.S. Army. On November 11, 1951 he was married to Nellie Ruth Arlt in Battle Creek. They celebrated 63 years of marriage and together they spent winters in Lakeland, Florida following their retirement in 1998. Wesley had worked at Oliver Equipment Company and New York Air Brake prior to owning his own businesses, OK Wrecking and Demolition, Raymond Road Landfill and OK Sports. He was most happy when operating his heavy equipment. He was a member of North Avenue Church of God and Northside Snowmobile and Motorcycle Club. He was also a member of the Area Amateur Sports Association and was inducted into the Battle Creek Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. He had played for the Mangum Red Sox in Oklahoma from 1946 – 1947. Wesley was also a lifetime member of both the Moose and Eagles Lodges, member of the Operator Engineers Union and loved to travel on his motorcycle. Surviving is his wife, Nellie Ruth Carter; children: Rita (Mike) Jenkins of East Leroy, Nancy (Jim) Hazel III, Ronnie (Linda) Carter and Rebecca Carter (Kurt) Bunce; eleven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marie Cloud of Lubbock, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Betty Jo Wilson; brother Lloyd Carter and two great-great-grandchildren: Isaiah and Mia. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday at North Avenue Church of God with Rev. James L. Sparks officiating. Interment will follow at Fort Custer National Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Richard A. Henry Funeral Home on Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to the St. Mary’s Lake Association Fireworks Fund, P.O. Box 672, Battle Creek, MI 49016. www.henryfuneralhome.org

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