Mary Ellen McLaurin Carter 88 of 655 Mendenhall Road Newberry died Friday May 6 2005 at the Newberry County Memorial Hospital.Mrs. Carter was born on April 25 1917 in Bethune SC a daughter of the late A.B. and Daisy McDonald McLaurin. She was a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church. She graduated from Flora McDonald College and was a teacher for the United States military in Japan Germany and Panama. She also taught in public schools in California Connecticut and South Carolina.In 1959 she married the late W.C. "Billy" Carter of Newberry. Since then she and her husband were the principals of Carter and Holmes Orchids along with Owen and Raye Holmes. They were both very active in supporting education and the arts in Newberry.Mrs. Carter is survived by one brother and his wife John D. and Dot McLaurin of Bethune and four nieces Louise McLaurin-Hahn Marjorie Cason Ellen Smith and Mary Anne McLaurin Norwood. She is also survived by her husband's cousins Joe Summer of Charlotte NC who was raised in the Carter home and Owen Holmes and his wife Raye Holmes and their son Mac Holmes all of Newberry. Besides her husband and parents she was predeceased by her brother Alexander B. McLaurin Jr. and her sister Lorena TroegerFuneral services were conducted at 3:00 P.M. on Sunday at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Interment was the church cemetery.Visitation was from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. on Saturday at the Whitaker Funeral Home.Memorials may be made to Ebenezer United Methodist Church c/o Joy Bouknight 1911 Buzhardt St. Newberry SC 29108 Newberry College 2100 College St. Newberry SC 29108 or the Newberry Opera House PO Box 357 Newberry SC 29108.Active pallbearers were Jerry Cohen Dr. John Green Bobby Nichols Woodrow Lathrop Joe Palmer Randy Berry Leslie Hipp and Troy Bowers.Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.Whitaker Funeral Home Newberry is assisting the family.