Benjamin F. Carter Jr.

Benjamin F. Carter Jr., 96, of Forest City died Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City.

Memorial services will be held 11:00 A.M., Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the Forest City United Methodist Church in Forest City with Pastor Chuck Layton officiating.

A gathering of friends and family will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Friday, September 18, 2015 at Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel in Forest City and also one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday.

Inurnment will be held in Oakland Cemetery in Forest City.

Memorials may be directed to the Good Samaritan Center of Forest City, Forest City United Methodist Church or the donor’s choice.

A native of Iowa City, Benjamin Franklin Carter Jr. was born May 17, 1919, to Benjamin and Elizabeth Carter. He graduated from Iowa City High School in 1936 and the University of Iowa. Carter earned his private pilot’s license while a student at the university in 1947. He enlisted as an aviation cadet in the Navy Air Corps in 1942 and received his wings and commission in 1943. After 17 months sea duty with a Navy patrol bomber squadron, he returned to the states and was an instructor and later executive officer of a Navy air base in Florida.

Carter married Joyce Ann Bridges on January 3, 1945 in Highland Park, IL. After his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Ben and Joyce moved to Detroit, MI where Ben was advertising manager for the Detroit Suburban Newspapers. September 15, 1947, Ben became advertising manager of the Forest City Summit, owned by Harold and Ernest Cassill. Fourteen months later the Cassills decided to sell and the Carters bought the newspaper.

Carter was editor-publisher of The Summit for 37 years, retiring in 1983. During his tenure, The Summit won a long list of awards in the “Better Newspaper Contests” sponsored by the Iowa Press Association, including four times being named as the top community weekly newspaper in Iowa.

Elected to the board of directors of the Iowa Press Association in 1961, Carter served 11 years on the board. He was elected the association’s state president for the 1971-72 year. In 1973, the Iowa Press Association awarded Carter its highest honor, the “Master Editor-Publisher” Award.

In addition, Carter received numerous honors and awards including the chamber’s John K. Hanson Lifetime Achievement Award, Iowa State Volunteer of the Year award, Lions Club Citizen of the Year award and induction into the Forest City Education Hall of Fame.

Carter served the Forest City community in many ways. He was a past president of the Forest City Chamber of Commerce, past commander of the Forest City American Legion Post, secretary of Forest City Development, Inc. trustee of the Forest City Community Hospital for 12 years, director of the Forest City Golf Club, served on various fund raising committees for Waldorf College, 50-year member of the Rotary Club and was a member of the Forest City United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge and the Odd Fellows Lodge.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; two sons, Benjamin III (Jan) of Georgetown, TX; and Robert (Yvonne) of Brooklyn Park, MN; a daughter, Cynthia of Forest City; five grandchildren, Jason (Amber) of College Station, TX; Joshua (Stephanie) of Metrairie, LA; Haille of League City, TX; Ashley (Nathan) Burress of Eldridge, IA and Anthony (his fiancé Yelena) of Forest City; four great-grandchildren, Isabel, Maxwell, Jackson and Benjamin Carter; and a brother, Robert of North Richland Hills, TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Louise, and a brother, Richard.