The following picture was submitted by Tracey R. Carter Dunlap, daughter of Marion Allen and Beatrice (Adams) Carter. She writes:
"This picture of my parents was taken BEFORE they were married. Actually, it was taken the day my father proposed to my mother. They stopped to get a soda and noticed one of those old photo booths in the store and had this taken.
Dad was on leave from the Army in World War 2 and was 19 years old and Mom was 18. Back then a woman had to be 18 to get married and a man had to be 21. Sence dad wasn't old enough he had to ask my Grandfather for permission, which dad told me he was scared to ask but he finally got up the nerve. When he got up the courage to ask, Grandpa said: "Well, having 2 Beatrice's in the family wouldn't be so bad". My father's sister is named Beatrice.
When my father first went into the service he had written my Mother and told her that he had a surprise for her but wouldn't tell her what until he came home. He told her that he would send her 7 handkerchiefs and the last one he would send to her had a surprise. Well, the last one she got was given to her when he was on leave that came with a Marriage Proposial.
My father was born February 29, 1924 in Castle Rock in a house near the Cowlitz river. 7 days later his mother, Elizabeth Euceba (Hiles) Carter passed away on March 6, due to problems with his birth. My Grandfather, William Benjamin Carter, let his deceesed wife's parents, Brunetta "Nettie" Euceba (Howard) Hiles and Joseph Stewart Hiles, raise my father and his sister. Oh, Grandpa was always around and helped as best he could because he loved his kids and Grandpa never remarried."
