Tippah County Mississippi Biographies and Biographical Sketches

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CARTER, Dr. W. D. Biography

A little over half a century ago Dr. W. D. Carter, father of Dr. Nat. G. Carter, physician and druggist, Ripley, Miss , cast his lot with the people of Tippah county, Miss., and from the first he rose rapidly in his profession to a prominent position in the first rank of physicians of the state. He was born in Wilson county, Tenn., about 1818, and there passed his youthful days, assisting on the farm and attending the country schools, in which he received a good common education. He came to Ripley about 1840, and like many other young men who afterward distinguished themselves in public and professional life, commenced teaching school, and at the same time studied medicine. He attended the Medical university at Louisville, Ky., graduated from that well-known and far-famed institution, and subsequently began his successful career as a practitioner. This ho continued until his death on the 24th of May, 1S88. In 1S45 he married Miss Fannie Green, daughter of Judge C. A. Green, formerly of Ripley, and to them were born six children — three sons and three daughters. Of these, two, the eldest and youngest, are deceased, the last being Charlio, who was murdered in the discharge of his duties while assisting to arrest some out laws in Arkansas a few years ago. Two sons and ono daughter survive. One son, Dr. N. G., is the subject of this sketch, and the other, Hardy, who is known to every man in Tippah county, is a distinguished lawyer and district attorney in Arkansas. The mother of these children died in 1857, and in 1S84 Dr. Carter married Miss Hermie E. Winkler, a daughter of Rev. Dr. Winkler, of Alabama, one of the most eminent ministers of the Daptist church in the South. By the last marriage there were two little children - a daughter and son, the latter born during the last illness of his father. Dr. Carter was a man of strong and vigorous mind, of great originality and unconquerable will. These qualities added to his handsome appearance, his high sense of honor, his kindness of heart and his great knowledge of human nature, made him a leader of men, and few in his time exerted a treater influence over those with whom he was associated. The giant mind, the willing heart and hand that so often ministered to others in the alleviation of suffering and the prolonging of life, were powerless before the reaper Death — the physician could not heal himself. He will not soon be forgotten, for his self-erected monument in the hearts of the people is crowned with beautiful flowers of affection. As an evidence of the stronghold he had upon the affections of the people, on the day of the burial every house in town was closed, all business was suspended and the entire population turned out to pay the last tribute of respect to the grand old man, and every neighborhood in the couutry for miles around was represented. His son, Dr. Nat. G. Carter, was born in Ripley in December, 1850, and was there reared and liberally educated. He read medicine with his father and attended the Louisville medical college, from which he graduated in 1872. He immediately began practicing in Ripley, and in connection with this engaged in the drug business, being quite successful in this dual occupation. In 1874 he selected as his companion in life Miss Willie Falkner, daughter of W. C. Falkner, and they have two interesting children — both daughters. Dr. and Mrs. Carter are members of the Baptist church, and he is an uncompromising democrat in his political views. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]