Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us 'Togetiiei was done, the wages were always there. They never had to wait to be paid. He enjoyed gardening and, in addition to fresh vegetables, there were gooseberries and raspberries. A large cellar with a storage room above provided excellent cold storage for potatoes and carrots, milk, cream and butter pans, and for bottled fruits and vegetables. The storage room was a great playhouse for the children. In addition to the family home, John constructed a large barn, a granary, a machine shed, a garage, chicken coop and several other sheds, which were so well built that many are still in use. A fanning mill for cleaning grain was used at the Carter ranch by most of the early area settlers, and is still in working condition because of the excellent care he gave his machinery. Also some of the farm equipment has had the tongue cut down and is now still being used behind a tractor occasionally. Most of his life was filled with work, satisfaction and happiness, but sorrow also touched his life. The death of baby Amanda at eighteen months, and another daughter, Agnes, who died as a young mother leaving two small children caused pain. As a young man, John was excommunicated from the church. The story tells of an incident involving an argument over a neighbor using his irrigation water. He became angry and swung a shovel at the offender. In retrospect, the minor indiscretion of a youth didn't warrant such harsh action by the bishop, his father, who felt the need to make an example of his oldest son. John was later shown to be innocent of any wrongdoing. John did not let his pain show to his older children and even though he himself didn't attend church, he always encouraged his children to do so and would see that they had transportation. Every meal was begun with a blessing on the food and he lived a clean, honest life. John was not a large man in stature, but was always thought of as a man big in character. It was jokingly said that if he had been an inch taller, he would have been square. He grew a long moustache and his grandchildren would often quietly giggle as they watched him carefully wipe it to remove food particles. Christmas was important to him and his loved ones. He always made sure there were clear crystal candy animals as a special treat for the children and grandchildren. He always cut their own Christmas tree. In 1931 his oldest son, Tom, was facing death from The Samuel John (Jack) Carter Family: Myrtle, Agnes, Orial, and Faye. blood poisoning and Christmas took on a special meaning for his family when Grandpa Carter arrived with a tree, encouragement and the crystal candy. One day a young granddaughter, Barbara, arrived home to a cold house, because her parents had to leave. She tore up most of the Sears catalogue trying to start the fire and finally in exasperation exclaimed, "Damn it!" She turned to find her Grandpa Carter standing there. He said nothing to scold her, but proceeded to show her how to make a fire. Only after the room was warm, did he say, "I don't ever want to hear you swear again." Then he told her that on one occasion in his life he had been out in the field trying unsuccessfully to do a job. He began to curse and the more he swore, the madder he got. At that instant he looked up and his mother was standing there. His story made quite an impression on this young lady who knew that John's mother had been dead for many years when this incident happened to him. Samuel John Carter left a proud legacy and a good example. ©19- 37