10/13/2026
A 1903 photo of Myrtle (Johnson) Carter (1883-1958) and her children Millie (1899-1973) & Everett (1901-1967).
Myrtle was born in Iowa and raised in Taney County, Missouri, south of Springfield. As a teenager, Myrtle moved with her brothers, Will & Earl, to Richmond, where in June 1897, she married Paris M. Carter (1876-1953). Paris had moved to Ray County in 1885 from Illinois.
In 1900, they moved to Illinois for a year, as Paris worked for the railroad, before returning to Ray County, renting a farm northeast of Richmond, as Paris began working in the coal mines. They would have 5 children, who would attend the Nutter School, where Millie & Everett would graduate (8th grade).
In 1904, Paris and his brother-in-law's, Will & Earl Johnson, started a dray-line delivery service business in Richmond. They had two wagons and two teams of horses to pull them. This business operated for almost a decade.
Paris then began hauling coal for the Conrow & Williams coal mine near the Nutter school, leased by John Conrow & E.R. Williams from Perry Rice.
After World War 1 ended, the Carter's moved to Henrietta, as Paris got a job for the railroad and would work in the Henrietta mines as well. They first rented a home northwest of city limits before buying the house that currently sits abandoned in between 609 & 613 Elm Street, in Henrietta.
Here, they resided for the rest of their lives. They were members of the Henrietta Baptist Church.
Paris Carter died from a heart attack in his home in 1953, at the age of 77. He was one of the earliest burials in the Woodland Cemetery in Richmond. Myrtle Carter also died from a heart attack in the home in 1958, at the age of 75. She was buried beside her husband.
Their son, Everett Carter, married Emma Mallory of Hardin, and they first lived in the Lakeview community, northeast of Hardin. They then rented a farm near Lexington, where Everett worked in the coal mines. In 1931, they moved to Henrietta, renting a farm from John Stigall. In 1935, they moved back to Lexington and then to Kansas City in 1944. Everett was a farmer and carpenter.
In January 1915, Paris & Myrtle's daughter, Millie Carter married George O. Wrisinger (1896-1965). They first rented a farm in the Sunshine community, south of Richmond. In 1925, they bought a 16-acre farm near Millville, northeast of Richmond. In the late 1920's, they sold the farm and moved with her brother, Everett, to a farm near Lexington.
In 1931, they too moved with Everett to Henrietta, where their parents lived. The Wrisinger's bought the Charles Smith home in Henrietta, as George worked on nearby farms.
In 1936, the Wrisinger's sold the home in Henrietta, as they purchased the 30-acre Chris Kratzer farm in the Morton community, for $750. It was located northeast of the Lavelock Cemetery, north of Hardin.
In 1942, they sold their farm for $950 and purchased a 30-acre farm between Rayville & Dockery, off W. 144th Street.
In 1945, the Wrisinger's moved to Richmond, buying the Cyrus See home on West Royle Street, then with an address 412, which was the last house at the end of the street. It was located where 904 W. Royle is today.
Their home was at the bottom of the hill and across the road from the County Home, sometimes referred as the "Poor Farm". From 1951 to 1953, George worked for the County Home, often helping to work the fields, garden, and to haul cattle into town for sale.
Millie got a job as a clerk at Mattingly's variety store on the south side of the Courthouse square. In 1956, she filed for divorce, claiming that George would often go into a rage and destroy furniture. Also, that he once threatened her with a hammer. However, they continually put off going through with the divorce and the case kept being continued until it was dismissed in 1960.
In 1959, when the County Home was converted into the Elm Park Nursing Home, Millie was hired to be a nurse there by Mrs. Linnie Hankins, and George was hired to mow the large property. When Hankins left a year later, they too stopped working for the nursing home. Millie got a job doing assembly work at the Lake City Am******on Plant.
In 1962, George now filed for divorce from Millie, and it was finalized shortly after. A couple of months later, they re-married. A month after that, Millie filed for divorce. The suit was later dropped.
In 1964, the Wrisinger's 4-room house on West Royle burned to the ground. It was said to have been an old house that only had one electrical wire into the home. They had a new home built, which is still standing there today. At the time of the fire, their home was still the last house on West Royle.
In 1965, George died from a heart attack at the age of 69. Millie died in 1973, at the age of 74. They were buried beside each other in the Woodland Cemetery.
Besides Millie Wrisinger and Everett Carter, Myrtle's other children were:
Chester P. Carter (1903-1988) of Henrietta, who was a farmer, truck driver, and worked for the Lake City Plant from 1948 to 1968.
Sylvia Carter (1910-2001) of the Dockery community, where she lived on the farm of her husband, Wilburn Carter. She sold Avon products.
Ira L. Carter (1916-1952) who made his fame by stealing 6 cars by the time he was 16. He had also robbed the 10-13 Gas Station. He was finally caught when driving 60 miles per hour down Elm Street in Hardin, a record speed at the time.
After only a couple of days in the County Jail in Richmond, Ira escaped using a knife and a pair of plyers to remove some bricks from the wall and squeezing by.
He hid in and around his parents' home in Henrietta for months before turning himself in. Then, 2 months later, he again escaped from the County Jail, this time doing so by removing a part of the wall, which gave him access to the lock.
This time he hid in a cabin in the Ozark's in southern Missouri for many months before Ray County Sheriff, Archie O'Dell, found him and captured him. Ira now aged 17, was sentenced to the Booneville Reformatory Institution until he turned 21. He made it 3 months there before escaping, by claiming he got permission to visit a dentist. He was re-captured a week later.
Ira finished his term, and at 21 moved to Kansas City, where he got a job at the Ford Motor Company, where he worked the rest of his life.
