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Show and served on a variety of historical commissions and associa¬tions. In 1947, Utah's centennial year, she was a member of the arts and history sections of the Centennial Commission and com¬piled a bibliography of Utah writings and history. Some fifty thousand copies were distributed throughout the United States. Her survivors include one daughter and two sons: Mrs. Gifford A. (Kathryn) Smith, Woods Cross; Boyer A. Carter, Kaysville; Dr. Paul B. Carter, Logan; five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Elmer C. Bearnson, Salt Lake City, John Y. Bearnson, Springville and two sisters, Elner Jarvis, Spanish Fork, and Hattie Kilfoyle, Amer¬ican Fork. —The Pioneer, Sons of Utah Pioneers EULOGY Moneta S. Baker, who served for many years as treasurer of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers organization, gave the follow¬ing life history of President Carter at the funeral service Septem¬ber 11, 1976. Some of the material she selected was taken from a history written by Clara Steele. "Kate Bearnson Carter was born in Spanish Fork, Utah, July 30, 1892, daughter of Finnbogi and Mary Jensen Bearnson. Her parents were humble but proud people whose home was filled with love and high ideals. Education was a very important part of their home life and their children were provided with as many of the best books as it was possible for them to obtain. "Mr. Bearnson was a native of Iceland and came to Utah not as a convert to Mormonism, but to visit relatives. He was an avid reader and student of history. Mrs. Bearnson, President Carter's mother, was a pioneer of 1866, who started the journey from Denmark with her grandmother. On the way, the grand¬mother died and the little girl, Mary, then only eight years of age, came on to Utah in the care of friends. Upon her arrival, she signed a promissory note to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund for sixty dollars with interest at ten percent per annum. This note she paid in full before her marriage in 1878. It can be seen in the Pioneer Memorial Museum. You may be sure President Carter was proud of her heritage, and with such fine parents, she was given a good start in life. "Although she was christened Catherine Vigdus, she soon got the nickname of 'Kate,'which name stayed with her through¬out her life. "At the age of six she began her education in Scofield, Car¬bon County. Later her father obtained employment in a small community in Skull Valley where she attended grade school. But her mother felt the children would receive better training in a larger school, so she moved back to Spanish Fork where Kate graduated from high school. Next she graduated from Henager's Business College, and at different periods in her life took courses at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. She has written many short stories, pageants, historical sketches and road shows. She told me that when she was twelve years old, an elderly neighbor asked her to write his letters for him. He may have been infirm, or perhaps couldn't write the English lan¬guage, but it led to her writing his life story as he dictated it. Thus began her interest in the pioneers and their histories. "During the years of her young girlhood she served in every female organization of the L.D.S. Church. At the age of four¬teen she taught Sunday School. At sixteen she taught girls her own age in the Mutual Improvement Association, which led to her appointment to the Nebo Stake Board of M.I.A. About this time she, with her partner, won fifty-two debating contests, an activity she very much enjoyed and for which she did much re¬search. Always there were those who helped, especially her dear mother who urged her to seek knowledge and to grasp opportun¬ity. She served on two stake boards of Relief Society and for thirteen years she was president of the Second Ward Relief So¬ciety, during which time the great depression occurred and Re¬lief Society presidents carried a heavy load of charity work. People of all faiths and backgrounds came to her door. No one was ever turned away. "On June 14, 1914, she mar¬ried Austin Carter in the Salt Lake Temple. Mr. Carter was a fine man- patient, kind and affectionate. They made their home in Spanish Fork until 1926, when they moved to Salt Lake. Three children were born to them: Boyer, Paul and Kathryn. Throughout their busy life, they maintained a happy, wholesome, friendly home. The whole family co¬operated in helping President Carter, especially her hus¬band, who took her to the con¬ventions in distant areas, han¬dling the books for her and ar¬ranging travel schedules. " 'Katie B.' as she was sometimes called, was a charter mem¬ber of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers in Spanish Fork and joined Camp #2 when she came to Salt Lake to reside. Realizing that people cannot be fully informed unless they have a thor¬ough knowledge of their forebears, she soon began researching |