Rev. David Wendel Carter was born on 8 July 1848 in Carter Co., TN.
1 He married
Cornelia Stanley Keith, daughter of
Alexander Keith and
Sarah Ann Penelope Fore, about 1885, seven children born, six living as of 1910 census.
2 Rev. David Wendel Carter died on 3 September 1937 in Texas
Biography -- (Findagrave.com):
Dr. Ramsey in his Annals of Tennessee says, "Col. John Carter emigrated from Virginia in 1771 or 1772, intelligent and patriotic, he was soon a leader in the Watauga Association, and became chairman of its committee and of its Court, which for several years combined the legislative judicial and executive functions of the infant government west of the Allegheny," the first example of self-organized government in America. His son, Col. Landon Carter, was a prominent member of the Constitutional Convention in 1796, and in his honor the County of Carter was named. Next in line was Alfred M. Carter, owner of the "Aerial" furnace in Carter County, and one of the earliest manufacturers of hollow iron ware, which he shipped on flat boats down the river to market. His son, next in line, was David W, Carter, a highly esteemed and useful citizen and the father of David Wendell Carter, the subject of this sketch, who was born in Carter County, Tennessee, on July 8, 1848.
On his mother's side he was a great grandson of John Sevier, famous Indian fighter, one of the organizers and Governor of the State of Franklin, and first governor of the State of Tennessee. He graduated from King College, Bristol, Tennessee, in June 1871, which ten years later awarded him the A.B. degree, in 1899 conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. The year of his graduation he was admitted on Trial into the Traveling Connection by the Holston Conference, just one hundred years after his ancestor, Col. John Carter, reached the Watauga Country. For eleven years he served as pastor of Circuits and Stations in Holston, notably, Abingdon, Va., and Athens, Tenn. In 1882 he was appointed by Bishop John C. Kenner, Missionary to Mexico. Dr. Fitzgerald, later Bishop, told a very interesting story about this appointment. Bishop Kenner wrote to Dr. Fitzgerald, editor of the Christian Advocate, soliciting his help in finding a good man for the Mexican Misson, and asking how he thought D. W. Carter would do . . . Dr. Fitzgerald wrote the Bishop recommending Carter for appointment to the work in Mexico, and Carter wrote to Dr. Fitzgerlad tendering his services for that work if Dr. Fitzgerald the same date and were put in the mail on the same day. In December he reached the capital city of Mexico and began his work in the study of Spanish and made such progress that he was able to preach in that language his first sermon just nine months from the time he left the Holston Country. He became a master of that sonorous language and spoke it accurately and fluently as his own mother tongue, and for more than half a century used it in preaching the gospel of Christ and always to the joy and enrichment of his hearers.
In June 1883, he was stationed at Oaxca, (Wahacka) in Southern Mexico, and while here narrowly escaped being waylaid by fanatical Romanists while making a journey from a nearby village. During his stay at this place he published a religious paper, "La Bandera del Evangelio," devoted to exposing the errors of Romanism. Later he was given charge of the Puebla District and traveled over a large section of the country round about for three years, being very active in preaching, building churches, and administering the finances of his District. He baptized and received into the church at one time more than sixty converts in the town of Izucar.
In 1887 he was appointed to work in the City of Mexico and made Treasurer of the entire Mission. In conjunction with Rev. Joseph Norwood, he was appointed to investigate the titles to all Missions property and secure the transfer from private parties to the General Board of Missions. The great value of that work has been well demonstrated in the later years. In 1889 he was placed in charge of the Publishing interests of the Missions.
The following year, 1890, in November, he was transferred to the Mexican Border Conference and appointed Presiding Elder of the San Antonio District, which he served most efficiently for six years. Then in 1897, he was returned to Mexico City and made Editor of El Evangelista Mexicana, organ of the three Spanish speaking Conferences, and was continued at this work until the close of the Spanish-American War, which opened Cuba to the Missionary work of Protestant Churches. He reached Cuba in February, one month after the Spanish forces had evacuated, having been asked to investigate conditions and the feasibility of opening work on the Island. After traveling all over the Island he made a clear and extensive report to the Board of Missions favoring the beginning of work at once. In 18S9 he was appointed by Bishop Candler, Superintendent of the Cuba Mission. At that time the church had no property in the Island, and only a very few scattered members, no schools, and only one other missionary who could speak the language. Seven years later, when he left that field, there was a fine corps of intelligent missionaries who could speak Spanish with exceptional facility, $125,000 worth of property, six good schools for the Missions, and nearly 40QO members. He was in travels abundant all over the island, preaching, organizing, buying property, and building churches. After five years of such strenuous work no wonder he became seriously ill. On his recovery, for the sake of his health and to enable him better to educate his children, he was returned to the Mexican Border Conference and made Presiding Elder of the San Antonio District, which covered more than fifty counties in Texas.
He was then sent into Mexico again and made Presiding Elder of the Monterrey District, which he served for two years, then in 1912, he made his home in Georgetown, Texas, and continued his work among the Mexican people. He continued to build churches for them in many places in Texas, and one in Georgetown, of which he continued as pastor until 1932, when he retired from active service and transferred his membership to Holston again, in which he had begun fifty-nine years before. Perhaps his last service to the Mexican people was to provide a home for Deaconesses in Georgetown, in 1936.
In 1884, he was happily married to Miss Cordelia Stanley Keith of Athens, Tenn., a most fortunate and happy union. She was a true helpmate for him, an earnest, faithful missionary, devoted wife and mother, and preceded her beloved husband to the heavenly home, August 17, 1934, (See 1934 Annual). To them were born six children who survive: Dr. Keith Carter, New York City; Dr. David W. Carter, Jr., Dallas, Texas; Miss Annie F. Carter, Washington, D. C.; Dr. Hugh S. Carter, Philadelphia; Rev. Stanley Carter, Troup, Texas; and Miss Cordelia K. Carter, Washington, D. C.
Three times he was chosen a delegate to the General Conference of his church, at St. Louis in 1890, in 1894 at Memphis and in 1910 at Asheville. He was a delegate to the Methodist Ecumenical Conference in London in 1901, and in Toronto in 1911.
He contributed often to the press of his church, was the author of a biography of Rev. Policarpo Rodriguez, a picturesque Mexican preacher in the Texas pioneer days, and prepared for his family an Autobiography of several hundred pages.
David W. Carter, D.D., was a Christian gentleman of the very finest type, gentle, modest, unaffected, a forceful preacher of the gospel which he illustrated in his daily walk, of fine administrative ability, accurate and dependable, looking wisely and carefully after whatever task was committed to him. Those who knew him, of whatever race, loved and trusted him implicitly. For sixty years he was a preacher of the gospel of Christ, truly a man of God. On September 3, this faithful servant of his Lord fell asleep and his mortal body was laid to rest beside his beloved wife in the cemetery at Georgetown, Texas, to await the trump that shall awake the dead to life and immortality and light.
"Soldier of Christ, well done; Rest from thy lovely employ, the battle fought, the victory won, Enter thy Master's joy."
Submitted By: J. W. Perry – Holston Conference Journal – 1937 – PP: 144 - 146.