Wilma Nell Carter

Wilma Mauldin Carter, 79, died Sunday, January 7, 2007 at her home in Abilene. A funeral service, with Pastor Scott Beard officiating, will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, January 11, in the Fountaingate Fellowship Church. Burial will follow in the Garden of Memories Cemetery under the Direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. A visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Funeral Home. Wilma was born March 26, 1927 in Fisher County, Texas to Walter and Alma Arrant Mauldin. She married Thurston Carter and the couple made Abilene home most of her life, where she was a homemaker as well as a pastor. In 1970 she founded the Word of Emmanuel Church, which in now known as Fountaingate Fellowship Church, retiring in 1990. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2001; both parents, two sisters and two brothers. Survivors include; a son, Michael Hugh Carter and his wife Patty of Abilene; three daughters, Sherilyn Hanks of Abilene, Connie Simpson and husband Billy of Amarillo, Texas, and Patricia Mansfield of Nashville, Tennessee; a brother, Roy Mauldin and wife Shirley of Abilene; a sister, Ola D. Birchitt of Abilene; a sister-in-law, Loretta Cochran of Lubbock, Texas; eight grandchildren, Laura Hanks-Dick, Shane Carter, Shelly Carter, Stacy Simpson, Crystal Simpson?Pennington, Brent Simpson, Jonathan Mansfield and Elizabeth Mansfield; two great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn Dick and Logan Dick, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend a special thank you to: Dr. Carl Trusler, Dr. Gary Roark and Dr. Gary Heath, the Abilene police and fire departments, Metro Care Ambulance Service, and Judge David Pueschel.