Obituary of Mardell Ruth Carter

It’s with a heavy heart to announce Mardell Carter, our dear and beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and best friend has passed away. She left us at age 82, on October 12th, a day before her 83rd birthday.

Mardell was born on October 13th, 1940 in Portales, New Mexico. She was diagnosed with polio at age 3, she spent that year of her life at Carrey Tingley Hospital, in Truth or Consequences, NM, where her family would visit every weekend. After that year she moved into a house, built by her dad in 1944, in the southeast heights of Albuquerque. She would spend the rest of her life in this home. She attended Whittier elementary, Wilson middle school and Highland high school. She graduated in 1958. Mardell worked all through high school, she would ride the bus to Learners, a clothing store in now, Downtown Albuquerque, but that was in-between her time spent dancing at the Hitching Post. She had her first and only daughter Tracy robinson at age 27.  Mardell was never married but cherished her daughter dearly. She worked up until she was in her early 60s, and the rest was love and light with her three granddaughters, sister and daughter.

Mardell Carter was witty to say the least, always the one to knock some sense into you. She loved her family more than anything and could tell the most vividly charming stories you’ve ever heard, she spoke of her mom and dad, Jack and Eunice Carter and of her time spent with her two sisters and brother. Mardell never tried too hard to be exactly who you wanted her to be, loving, sincere and most importantly feisty. She loved music, mainly country.. just something she could dance to. She would mention more frequently than not how she could clear a whole dance floor just with how amazing she was. She took pride in everything she did, from dancing to loving you. Mardell loved to work with her hands, she was an astonishing artist and crocheted the most extravagant blankets. To her it wasn’t about being the best, despite everyone seeing her as so, it was about being passionate and concise.

Mardell had her daughter Tracy, who gave her three grandchildren, Zoe, Lane and Chelsea, whom all loved her deeply and whole heartedly. Everyone always took a liking to Mardell and this may be from the charm and whit instilled in her from her father Jack, or the tender love from her mother Eunice. There are many other reasons though, maybe it was from her sister Lyndall King, who made her feel like she could do anything she wanted to, or her youngest sister Frankie Maples who was her partner in crime, her brother Jim played a part as well, the one who always had her back. Lyndall had three daughters, Tammy, Ginny and Bobbie. Frankie had five children, Jackie, Melinda, Rhonda, Allen and David and Jim had four kids, Ginger, Karen, Rusty and Connie. Mardell considered each and everyone one of them her favorite. Her most renowned trait was that tender heart from her mother. She loved all of this family deeply, more than words could ever depict. Her family was the center of her life, it made her the Mardell that we all can remember now.

Mardell Carters memorial will be held on Saturday, October 21st, at her lifelong home, more so a celebration of life and a time to relive all of the love that Mardell brought into our lives.