July 23, 2021, 99, Princeton –
Aileen Bedford Carter lived a full life of nearly one hundred years before dying peacefully on July 23 surrounded by family. Aileen saw many loving family members and friends in her final days because she had so many who adored her. You could not meet her and not be impressed by how kind and funny and gracious she was.
Born November 28, 1921 in Princeton, she was the first of ten children and here in 2021, the last of those ten children. She was preceded in death by her father, Jack Bedford; her mother and step-father, Laura and Dewey Tedder; her sisters, Beulah Snipes, Dorothy Hinnant, Betty Reaves and Jeanne Ingram; her brothers, John “Buck” Bedford, James, Bobby, Glen and Marion Tedder.
After graduating from Princeton High School, she went to school in Charlotte for a program to learn how to operate a comptometer, the first commercially successful key-driven mechanical calculator. This led to her work in a hospital business office and later for the railroad. She served her church as both a Sunday School teacher and a youth group director. While she was a member of Sunset Park Baptist Church in Wilmington for many years, she spent her latter days faithfully watching the Hayes Barton service on TV every Sunday morning.
Aileen lived in Wilmington for over thirty years before retiring and returning to Johnston County. She lived a modest life that included lots of dancing in her younger days and in her most recent years an enormous knowledge of professional golf, a love of good food with the greatest being anything chocolate, and a standing 7:30pm date each weeknight with Wheel of Fortune. Right up until her last day, she could tell you any detail about four days ago or four decades ago.
Aileen was able to live in her own home in her final years thanks to the tremendous support of not just friends and family but also the community. Her landlord, her neighbors, her cleaning lady, her nurses, her hairdresser, even the ladies at the bank – all went out of their way to care for her and all she held dear. And the staff at SECU Hospice House provided that final precious care.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and other wonderful relatives and friends who loved and supported her through the years – too many to be named! Visitation will be held Friday, July 30, 2021 at Casey Funeral Home in Princeton from 4:30-6:00pm followed by a memorial service at 6:00pm. She will be buried Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 11:00am beside her deceased husband, Loomis Carter, at Oleander Memorial Gardens in Wilmington.
