Gaylord Carter
December 26, 1922 - July 25, 2018

Gaylord Carter, 95, of Waterloo, died Wednesday, July 25 at his home. He was born Dec. 26, 1922 in Fairfield, Iowa, son of George and Francis Kindred Carter. He married Dona Jean Reckner on July 11, 1945 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Riceville, Iowa. She died April 25, 2015. Gaylord attended Elma High School and attended Meteorology school at Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. and the University of Wisconsin. He transferred to Armor School, Buckley Field, Colo., then to Gunnery School in Florida and crew training in Pueblo, Colo. He served in the Italian Theatre with the U. S. Army Air Corp during WWII, where he flew 60 combat missions over Germany and Austria as a belly gunner on a B-24 Liberator. Gaylord co-owned and operated Carter & Boyd Carpets, which later became Carter's Carpets. After closing his business, he did contract work for Riley's Floors and other local businesses with his two grandsons. Survived by: four sons, Gary R. (Jackie) of Winter Haven, Fla., David M. (Maria) of Vitoria, Brazil, Mark J. (Mary) of Avinger, Texas and Timothy L. (Marsha) of Independence; a daughter, Ellen I. (Bill) Carter Neebel of Decorah; a son-in-law, Tony Borwig of Knoxville; 14 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; numerous nephews and nieces; special friends, Audrey Kugler, Shirley Schmidt and Jodie Clark and his special Labrador companion, Kiera. Preceded in death by: his wife; a daughter, Gayle J. Borwig; a daughter-in-law, Nita Jo Carter; seven brothers, Aroby "Red", Dorsey "Dutch", Roland "Slim", Arlous "Jack", Oury, Orville and Delmar Carter and two sisters, Bessie Keller and Creta ThirtyAcres. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 30 at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Waterloo, with burial in St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Riceville, where full military rites will be conducted by Riceville American Legion, Post 244 with flag presentation by the Iowa Army Honor Guard. Public visitation will be 4 until 7 p.m. Sunday, July 29, at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgway and continue for one hour before services at the church on Monday. Memorials: to Cedar Valley Hospice, the church or to the family.

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