Catherine "Cae" Hewitt Carter

She was born April 29, 1927, in Fort Worth. Raised during the Great Depression, she spoke of a childhood in which the family had little but required little to be happy. She graduated from her beloved R. L. Paschal High School in 1944 and studied teaching at Texas State College for Women in Denton. She continued her education at Columbia University in New York studying Education, Art, and Music.

After graduation, Cae embarked on a lifelong career in teaching. As a testament to her impact on students, some of her 6th-grade class of 1954 at South Hi Mount Elementary in Fort Worth found Cae on social media and held a 60th reunion. She began her service in Killeen ISD in the early seventies teaching fifth grade at Haynes Elementary. Realizing she could have a greater impact on students earlier in their development, she shifted her focus to younger grades at Clifton Park and taught first grade at Bellaire Elementary until her retirement. Cae loved reading and found great joy in helping students of all abilities learn this critical life skill.

Cae loved to travel and she explored the world with her girlfriends in the 1950s and, later in life, with her family and friends. She visited exotic destinations in Africa, Europe, and Latin America writing detailed diaries of her adventures and making forever friends along the way.

She married John Evington Carter in 1959 and became an instant mother to his children Chris and Andy. A year later, another son Joel was born. They soon settled in Dallas while Cae took time off from teaching to raise her family. After John’s job took them to New York City, the family lived nearby in Connecticut before moving back home to Texas where John pursued a successful career as a fine artist. Cae served as his de facto business manager and also resumed her teaching career. The couple became well-known among the fine arts community and traveled domestically and internationally for painting junkets, watercolor workshops, and working vacations to Italy, France, Germany, UK, Guatemala, and other destinations.

Cae and John were founding members of the Vive Les Arts Society of Killeen and Cae later served on the Board of Directors. She also served the Killeen Area Heritage Association and was a member of the Board of Directors of The Institute for the Humanities at Salado.

Cae’s passion for reading was not limited to the classroom. She was an avid mystery reader and owned thousands of books from a plethora of authors. After John passed away in 1992, Cae and her dear friend and fellow mystery fan, Dr. Billie Laney, began attending mystery writer conferences. They gained acclaim among the community as “the girls from Texas” after attending many dozens of events around the globe, meeting their favorite writers, dining with them, sitting on panel discussions, and even proofreading manuscripts before publication.

Cae was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Killeen. She will be greatly missed by her community, friends, and her loving family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter Reagan Hewitt and Rose Adkins Hewitt, brother George W. Hewitt and namesake Caety Edwards. Survivors: Daughter, Chris Carter Dodge, and husband Richard of Duncanville. Sons, Andy Carter and wife Marilyn of Pocatello, Idaho, and Joel Carter and wife Pattie of Argyle, Nieces and Nephews Jani Hewitt Edwards and husband Mickey, Reagan Hewitt Edwards, Kay Hewitt, Becci Hooten and husband Nathan, Greg Scarborough and wife Crystal.

She took great pride in her grandchildren and their families, John Dodge and wife Melissa, Rosemary Dodge Mistry and husband Karl, Josh Carter and wife Alicia Ringo, and Brooke Carter. She leaves behind great-grandchildren Claire Dodge, Lyla Mistry, and Cyrus Mistry.

Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to The Caety Edwards Memorial Scholarship at First Texas Bank of Lampasas, 6835 CR 3010, Lampasas, Texas 76550. Caety was Cae’s namesake and grandniece who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in December 2019.

Due to COVID restrictions, a private graveside service for immediate family was held Saturday, October 3, at Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth. The family plans to host a celebration of life event in Killeen next April for extended family, friends, and the community.