Death overtook Mrs. Edith M Carroll Canter, of Seattle, WA, on Mar 16, 2006.
Mrs. Canter age 85 years, 4 months and 13 days, was born on Oct 31, 1920, on a farm near Milford. Edith was the eldest of ten children of Noble and Mabel Carroll of Kalkaska.
Preceding her in death were her parents, and her beloved brother Charles F. Carroll of Portland, and three of her seven children, who were, Patricia L King of Seattle, Craig J Olson of Clarksont, and Mark E Olson of Tacoma, WA.
She is survived by son, Paul Eric Olson, and daughters, Linnea Carroll Meyer of Seattle, Mrs. Elise Hodgkin, and Mirs. Lianna Spring; 11 grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren. Mrs. Canter was rearing her great grandson, Cody L Dockery, age 11, when she passed away.
Mrs. Canter is also survived by her brothers, Franklin T (Frank) Carroll of Three Rivers, Noble L (Bob) Carroll of Barryton, Acil B Carroll of Rockford, Lawrence A. (Larry) Carroll of Pentwater, John D Carroll of Villa Grove, CO; and sisters, Mrs. Clara A. (Connie) Smith of Grayling, Mrs. Mabel J (Joann) Beeman of Traverse City, and Mrs. Betty G Bicknell of Bettendorf, IA.
Edith grew up in Kalkaska, and was valedictorian of her graduating high school class. Later, she attended both Michigan State College and Wayne State University in Detroit.
During the 1960-70s, Edith was the proprietress of The Unstabled Theater, an avant-garde playhouse, coffeehouse, and progressive jazz venue. It was, a s Lily Tomlin, one of her early performers has said, "A happening place." Later, Edith became executive director of the Shiawassee County, Michigan YMCA, and after moving to Seattle in 1980, she became involved in the Seattle Arts Program.
More recently, she gave much of her vitality and love of the arts to organizing and teaching activities at the St Vincent de Paul retirement center in West Seattle.
Edith Carroll Canter was a proud member of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, being a direct descendant of Lt. Stephan Noble, who answered the alarm at Lexington in 1775, and of Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland, who came on the Mayflower in 1620, and she was a second cousin to Abraham Lincoln.
Her life remains an inspiration to all her family and friends who knew and loved her. She will be greatly missed. At her own request her ashes will be scattered over San Francisco Bay.
