Carter Shelley Obituary

ROCK HILL - Rev. Dr. Anne Carter Shelley, one of the first women to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina, died in Rock Hill, S.C., on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008.

She was born in Danville, Va. on Dec. 14, 1952, and grew up in Rock Hill. She attended Rock Hill High School (class of 1970), where she was editor of the school newspaper and an active member of Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church. She graduated with a degree in Religion at the University of South Carolina and received a Masters in Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, a Masters in Preaching from Princeton University, and a PhD. in English and Rhetoric from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.

She served in the ministry at churches in Butner, N.C., Durham, N.C., Yadkinville, N.C., and Statesville, N.C. She also served as an associate presbyter for Salem Presbytery in North Carolina. She was admired by all her congregations for her ministerial passion and energy. She wrote numerous professional articles, chapters and one book. She also made major contributions to The Immediate Word, a Web site supporting sermon writing. Her academic interests were in preaching and rhetoric, feminist hermeneutics and the prevention of plagiarism in preaching.

She taught English to undergraduates at Wake Forest and Appalachian State University. She also organized and taught lay pastors in Salem Presbytery, was elected as moderator of Salem Presbytery, and was a mentor to many women ministers.

Carter Shelley was a beloved spouse, parent, daughter, sister and friend, as well as a minister and educator. In 1995, she married Dr. Thomas Frazer and moved to Wilkesboro, N.C. She was active in the Wilkesboro community as a soccer coach, organizer of a book group, board member of Shelter and Aid to Families in Emergency (SAFE), and a trustee of the Orcas Island Public Library. Since moving to Orcas Island, Wash., she has also been writing a book on stepmothers.

Carter accomplished an enormous amount professionally and socially. As a minister, English teacher, and author, she was beloved by a very large circle of friends and admirers. She put enormous energy and creativity into family life, with perhaps her most powerful ministry being her role as wife to Dr. Thomas Frazer and parent to Melanie Somjen Frazer and Nicholas Laszlo Frazer.

In addition to her husband and stepchildren, she is survived by her parents, Adrian and Anne Carter Shelley and her siblings, Adrian Donald Jr., Jennifer Elizabeth, James Hagan and Joel Fitzgerald Shelley.

Carter's memorial service will be held at Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. Memorials may be sent in lieu of flowers to Union Theological Seminary, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227; Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund (which will support individuals pursuing theological education); or the Orcas Island Public Library, 500 Rose Street, Eastsound, WA 98245.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Herald from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Carter Shelley

13 Entries

Kathleen Reuter Chamberlain

February 14, 2008

I'm so shocked and sorry. What a loss. I haven't seen Carter for some time, but we were close during the years she lived in Winston-Salem. I first met her when we took a Jane Austen seminar in grad school at Chapel Hill. Then we both moved to W-S, where I spent many hours in her living room watching "Masterpiece Theatre" and eating and talking about anything and everything. Probably not a week went by that she and Emily and I didn't get together. On one trip we took, we even got to stop in SC to meet the family mastiffs. Carter was a joy and a good friend, and I'm so glad to have known her. Please accept my sympathy.

Karen Daughtrey

February 13, 2008

To Tom, Uncle Adrian and Aunt Anne,
and all of my cousins:
May God Bless you all during this time of tremendous grief. Carter was a very special woman and God has gathered her in his arms way too soon for those who loved her and enjoyed her so much. Just know that she has finished the race and did it with a great Love for our Lord Jesus Christ. May you be comforted in knowing that she is in the presence of the Lord and we can only imagine how awesome that must be. May God give you strength for each day ahead.
Love to all,
Karen King Daughtrey and family

LARRY MARLIN

February 13, 2008

I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF CARTER FOR
HER ENERGY AND TIRELESS WORK WITH
ALL SHE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH.
FROM THE PULPIT SHE PREACHED WITH
A WONDERFUL SENSE OF BRINGING
MANY THOUGHTS AND WAYS OF LOOKING
AT OUR LIVES AND SCRIPTURE TOGETHER. BY THE END OF HER SERMONS SHE ENABLED US TO APPRECIATE HER EXPERTISE IN
CRAFTING A CHALLENGING AND
REASSURING MESSAGE. SHE LEFT
US INSPIRIED. WE WILL MISS HER.

SINCERELY

LARRY MARLIN

Steve Sanders

February 13, 2008

Jenny,
Your family and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Willie Garvin

February 13, 2008

Carter was my co-worker and most of all my friend. I will miss her many kindnesses. It was my honor to have worked and "played" with Carter during the early days of Salem Presbytery.

Janie Stikeleather

February 12, 2008

Tom, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. We had the privilege of getting to know Carter when she was our interim minister at Concord Presbyterian Church. She was a tremendous comfort to me during my brother's illness and death and I will always remember her kindness and compassion. Not only was she a gifted speaker and a wonderful minister, she was very dear to us all and we will miss her.
-Frank, Janie & Laura Stikeleather

Barbara Ticktin Johnson

February 12, 2008

To the Shelley family- I was deeply saddened to hear of your loss. I haven't kept in touch with you all, through the years. But I still remember how much I looked up to Carter as the big sis of my best childhood friend, Jenny. Carter never treated us as the annoyances that I'm sure we were. She always listened to me as if I were her peer, and not a kid. She had a very kind heart.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Warren Rochelle

February 12, 2008

Carter was one of my dearest friends and I will miss her more than I can say. Even now I am having a hard time believing she is gone. She went too soon. She considered her friends her extended family and I will never forget her many acts of loving kindness. She was one of the best people I have ever met.

Barrie Kirby

February 12, 2008

Carter was a valued colleague in ministry.

Laurie Valentine

February 12, 2008

I did not know Carter well, but am deeply saddened by the loss of a colleague and spirit-filled woman of God. My love and prayers are with her family.

Patty Monaco

February 12, 2008

Carter was such a joy, so positive and so generous with herself. We enjoyed the time we shared with her.

Lynn Kunkle

February 12, 2008

Carter was wonderful woman who gave much of herself and a role model for women in ministry. I had the opportunity to follow her at Yadkinville and have her preach at our homecoming service while at Yadkinville. It was an honor to share the pulpit with her. She will be missed, but has now entered her eternal home where we will meet again one day.

Annette Garver-Clark

February 12, 2008

My friendship with Carter was much too short. Tom, I am deeply shocked and saddened by this loss, and my heart goes out to you, and to your family and her parents. I remember the day Carter came into Orcas Center soon after you moved to the island and I was volunteering in the box office. I told her about some things going on, and she soon joined us in the Walkie Talkies, and not long after joined our Jazzercise class and became part of a circle of friends. She baked cookies for the children's concert at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, and we visited at the Writers Roundtable and at the Unitarian Fellowship. She said laughingly, "It's not true that I'm stalking you!" You and Carter came to an end-of-summer "going away and birthday" party for me the end of September. Last week we exchanged emails, and I had looked forward to seeing her this summer and involving her in volunteer activities at the Chamber Music Festival. She was gentle, full of intelligence and a love of life, a curiosity for new ideas and activities. She proved that it's not the length of a life or a friendship, but the quality of that life or friendship that matters. I will mourn her loss with you. May she go now in peace...blessed be.

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