Frank Carter

Black male, born November 15, 1895 in Pensacola, FL. His death certificate gives his year of birth as 1892 and his age as 42 years old at the time of his death on October 6, 1935 at Pensacola Hospital. He was married to Mary Carter and worked as a carpenter in the building industry. His father was Thomas Carter, his mother Octavia Brown. He lived at 513 N. DeVilliers. Mary was the informant on the death certificate. He died of chronic myocarditis with cerebral concussion from a fall. Contributing were general anasarca and pulmonary oedema. He had been treated since September 24, and the fall that precipitated his death apparently occurred at the hospital. Dr. W.E. Anderson signed the death certificate; Morris Funeral Home buried him at the Escambia County Poor Farm cemetery on October 12. (“Zion” is written on the Burial line but scratched out.)

While the death certificate does not mention why Frank was in the hospital to begin with, an article from 27 September 1935 lists him among the injured in a traffic accident. Apparently he and five other workers on a WPA road project at Innerarity Point were injured when the truck they were riding on was struck by an automobile at the intersection of Innerarity Road and Gulf Beach Highway. Of course, the injured workers were identified by race, and he and the other man of color were reported as being from New Warrington. Both Black men required medical treatment but returned to their homes that night.

Thomas and Octavia Carter appeared in the 1900 U.S. Census for Pensacola, Floria, living at 513 Strong St. Thomas was born in February 1870 in New York of two parents born in New York. He worked as a hotel porter and was unable to read or right. He rented his home. He and Octavia had been married for 10 years. Octavia was born in April 1870 in Florida of a father born in Alabama and a mother born in Florida. She was unable to read or write and did not work outside the home. She had borne four children, of whom four were living. The children were Arthur, born April 1884 in Florida and a student in grade 6; Hazel, a daughter, born in May 1893 in Florida; Frank, a son, born March 1894; and Clare, a son, born April 1898 in Florida.

There is a marriage record for Thomas and Octavia Brown on 29 July 1895 in Pensacola.

Frank Harris married Lodie Harris on 27 August 1916 in Pensacola. He appeared the next year on a World War I Draft Registration card that gives his birthdate as November 15, 1895. He was born in Pensacola, was married, lived at 312 E. Blount Street, and worked as a carpenter.

1920 Federal Census for Pensacola, living at 1007 E. Bobe St. He was married to Lodie Carter  and they had two infant children, Frank W. , Jr. who was one-and-a-half, and Joyce, who was two months old. I find no reason to believe this is not the Frank Carter of the above death certificate.

Frank and Lodie would have one more child, Virgie Louise in 1923, and that is the last evidence of their marriage. I have not located Frank in the 1930 census. By 1930, Lodie appeared in the Federal Census with a new husband, William Dean. William Frank and Virgie also appear in the household, but there is no sign of Joyce. Whether she died or went to another household I have not yet determined. By 1935, Lodie had married again, to Edward Fitzpatrick, by whom she had another daughter named Delores. Soon after, Lodie moved to Akron, Ohio, where – after marrying one more time, to Mack Dix – she died in 1989.

Frank and Mary E. Carter appeared in the 1934 Pensacola City Director, living at 312 E. Belmont. There was no occupation give for either of them. In 1935 Florida State Census, they still lived at 312 E. Belmont, and the only other person in their household was a niece by the name of Rosa Lee Fisher. Frank was 42, born in Florida, and worked as a laborer. Mary was 30, born in Florida. Rosa Lee was 15, also born in Florida. I have not been able to identify either of these women after Frank’s death.

FAMILY:

Father: Thomas Carter

Mother: Octavia Brown Carter

Siblings: Arthur, Hazel, and Clare Carter

Spouses: Lodie Harris, Mary E. (maiden name unknown)

Children: Willie Frank Carter, Joyce Carter, Virgie Louise Carter

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SOURCES:

Death certificate of Frank Carter (No. 16398). Florida Deaths, 1877-1939, Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

“Car Hits Truck, 6 WPA Workers Slightly Hurt,” The Pensacola Journal, 27 SEP 1935, p. 1.

Household of Thomas Carter.