Martha Bell Becker Carter Was born on February 24, 1922 in Barclay, Texas to parents Adam Isadore Becker and Clara Margaret Hering. She went to be with our Lord on September 26, 2016, after living a full life of quiet philanthropy, remarkable leadership and amazing leadership all while being a strong wife, mother, and grandmother, great grandmother and friend to many. Martha was raised in rural Texas where, as a child, German was spoken in the home. She skipped 2nd grade, and graduated from high school at 16. She then left home to work full time at 17 as an accountant’s assistant for Shell Oil in Houston. There she met future husband, John, on a blind date, and married him 6 months later. The newlyweds moved to Jacksonville, FL in 1946, then to Lake Wales in 1950. She was an active mother: Cub Scout den mother, First Presbyterian Church Sunday School superintendent, Girl Scout leader, PTA president, Volunteer clinic aide at the LW High School, while working as a real estate agent. More currently she was a member of the Florida and Polk County Cattlemen’s Associations as well as the NRA. She was a dedicated volunteer for the Lake Wales Medical Center Auxiliary for 52 years; Served on VOICE (Lake Wales Police community volunteer) since its inception; Lake Wales Pram Fleet for 50 years , serving as treasurer and boat driver. She could teach others how to sail, although she could not sail herself and drove a motorboat so children could water ski. Martha earned a private pilots license, helped build a Waco bi-plane in her garage, and was an accomplished seamstress. She loved to travel as she has flown on the SST Concord, sailed on the HMS Queen Elizabeth II and rafted down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, camping under the stars for the first time at 80. Family and travel meshed together as she created “MBC Family Tours” in 1988, to make sure her family would vacation together each summer – from the Galapagos to the Artic Circle. She loved working as a cattle rancher, and serving various boards, including Lake Wales Medical Center, Highlander Band board as treasurer, The Vanguard School Board of Trustees, Vice President of the former Polk County Hospital, Lake Wales Garden Club and Lake Wales YMCA – and a Gator Booster for 50 years. In 1993 she was the “Lake Wales Citizen of the Year” and in 2015 was Lake Wales AAUW “Women Who Made History on the Ridge” recipient. She is preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, John Carter, 2 sisters and 2 brothers. She is survived by her sister, Evalina McElfish , San Bernardino CA and her children: Chip (Donna) Carter – Lake Wales and Halfway, Oregon; Hugo (Cory) Carter – Palm City; Claude (Marthann) Carter – Plant City; Mary Youmans – Lake Wales; June (David) Ullman – Lake Wales and Her adoring Grandchildren: Adam (Holly) Carter – Enterprise, AL; Nathan (Jennifer) Carter – Riverview; Aaron (Holly) Carter – Zephyrhills; Rebecca Youmans – Lake Wales; Caroline (Joe) Swanson – Lake Wales; Carter Ullman – Auburn, AL; Amber Ullman -Rome, GA; Catherine Ullman – Lake Wales and 6 great grandsons and 2 great granddaughters Martha was a strong supporter of education, and children and youth programs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Boy Scouts of America (local unit or council); Lake Wales Pram Fleet; First Presbyterian Church of Lake Wales; Polk County Police Chiefs Association (scholarships for officers’ children); The Vanguard School. Funeral service will be held 10:00AM Saturday, October 1, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church Lake Wales with Rev. Chad Reynolds officiating. Visitation will be held 6:00-8:00PM Friday, September 30, 2016 at Marion Nelson Funeral Home.