Sharon Lee Carter

Amory – Sharon Lee Bowling Carter, 74, finished her mission work here on earth and met her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face on Thursday, December 23, 2021. She was born on March 7, 1947, on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, to the late Arvis Bowling and Mary Elizabeth Underwood Bowling.

Sharon was a 1965 graduate of Smithville High School where she graduated first in her class. While at Smithville, one of her many activities was serving as President of the Beta Club. It was at a joint Smithville/Hatley Beta Club party that she met the love of her life, Jimmy Carter, who was the Beta Club President for Hatley High School. Less than a year later, they were married. Together they shared over 56 years of marriage and were blessed with two children, many grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

Sharon loved her family and always served them sacrificially. A supportive wife and homemaker, she worked hard to create a nurturing environment for her children and grandchildren that will always invoke precious memories of delicious, home cooked meals and an immaculately clean home set against the background of sounds of her sewing or playing the piano.

A woman of great faith, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior as a young adult during revival services at Unity Baptist Church. From that day on Sharon loved serving and working in the church whether it was teaching Sunday school, playing the piano, or serving as the church secretary. A longtime member of Bigbee Baptist Church, she was unable to attend in recent years due to her health, but continued to serve the Lord by praying for and giving to others.

Sharon was a woman whom God gave many talents. As aforementioned, she was a wonderful cook and seamstress, along with being a gifted artist and writer. Her family cherishes the paintings and poems created by her. Along with all of these talents, she also studied survey and architecture at IJC where she designed the plans for her family home.

In her free time she loved researching her family’s genealogy, reading, and collecting toys, with her latter
two hobbies resulting in the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and opening her own book and collectible toy store, “Memory Lane Books and Twice a Child Toys” where she built a collection of over 25,000 books and thousands of toys.

Sharon also loved to travel with her husband Jimmy. Some of her favorite places to visit were Hawaii, Mexico City, and San Francisco. But none compare to her Heavenly home.

Sharon loved to listen to Elvis, the Beach Boys, and Southern Gospel music. She was a huge Alabama Crimson Tide football fan, and a Larry Bird era Boston Celtics fan. God truly blessed Sharon with a full life.

Her family has peace knowing that because of her faith in Jesus Christ she is more alive, in his presence, than she has ever been surrounded by all of her loved ones who have gone before her. Her family will miss her dearly, yet her love and influence will continue to live on through the great legacy of faith she instilled in each of them.

Sharon is survived by her husband of 56 years, Jimmy Lynn Carter, Amory; her son, Scott Carter (Michelle), Amory; and her daughter, Missy Carter (Cory Ford), Amory; grandchildren, Devin Davis (Becca), Mallory Davis Thompson (Jarreth), Savannah Carter Clayton (Nathan), Drew Carter (Ellie), Eli Carter, Kenley Bailey, Bo Carter, and Madison Ford; great-grandchildren, Emily Davis, Bella Grace Clayton, Mason Thompson, Todd Davis, Jaxxon Davis, Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Clayton, Levi Thompson, Kaylani Thompson, and Miriam Thompson; brother, Dwight G. Bowling, Sr.; numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Marsha Bowling Gray and a brother, Gary Bowling.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Sunday, December 26, 2021, at 3:00 pm at E. E. Pickle Funeral Home in Amory, with Bro. Ray Carroll and Bro. Johnathan Goodin officiating.
Burial will follow in Hatley Cemetery with pallbearers being her grandsons; her nephews, Dee Bowling and Russ Bowling; close family friends, Alan Adams and Kenny Boozer.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Sunday afternoon from 1:00 pm until the service hour at the funeral home in Amory, MS.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Monroe County Fellowship of Christian Athletes, PO Box 636, Amory, MS 38821, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.

Memories and condolences may be shared with her family at EEPickleFuneralHome.com.