Irma Hermina Carter was born to the late Frederick and Thelma Carter on April 28, 1928 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She was the eldest of seven children and had a tremendous role in the upbringing of her siblings and household chores. Because of her responsibilities, Irma was only able to complete primary school but her wisdom exponentially supersedes any standardized education. When you spoke with her you knew you're walking away with a wealth of knowledge. Irma held down several jobs. As an entrepreneur, she owned a vending stand where she sold snowballs, baked goods, ethnic foods and drinks. All this while holding down a full- time employment in domestic housekeeping. Through the urging of her brother, Hollis, she applied for a government program to send women to America for domestic housekeeping work. She was one of the few who succeeded. On September 25,1967, Irma left Trinidad and migrated to the United States to begin a new life in New York. She worked very hard and with a strong will and perseverance, Irma was able to apply for visas and bought 5 of her 7 children to the U.S. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1971 and then to Baltimore where she made her home. She worked two to three jobs in domestic housekeeping to take care of her family. Some days her children did not see her. In the late 1970'S she worked for then known as City Hospital in housekeeping. She later went on to work as a custodian at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School. Not long after, she was promoted to head custodian. She was recognized for being an admirable employee who generously imparted skills, talents and fulfilled dutiful obligations in the best interests of Baltimore City Public Schools. In addition to working full-time, she took several classes to master the art of cake decorating, for which many of you are witnesses to her gift. Her sponge cake and black cake were the best. On September 10,1996, Irma retired from conventional work and received the award of an Employee of Exemplary Distinction. In the early 1980'S, Irma renewed her faith in God by joining Back to the Bible Church. She was committed to the Word of God and her church. She took her role as Mother Carter seriously. She participated in every event until her health began to decline and even then if she could muster up the smallest amount of energy, she was present. If she said she was not going to church, the next question would be, "Do you want to go to the ER?" That's how important being in church on Sunday meant to her.

Irma lived a contented life. Nothing bothered her. She was always peaceful in every situation. She had a gentle spirit, yet did not stand for foolishness and did not allow anyone to take advantage of her. She would express her displeasure without making a spectacle, but you knew that you were properly addressed. She stood up for what was right. As she would quote, "You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything." Throughout the house you could hear her humming a tune and then a loud burst of soprano at the words she knew and then back to humming. She found solace from her busy days in the things she loved doing. She enjoyed sewing; from dresses to quilts, crocheting afghans, reading books and reciting poetry she learned as a child. But her real love was gardening. If she found herself sitting for too long, she would book a trip home or to some other destination. Her house was known as the "party house", but it was more than the traditional sense ofthe words. Her house was the place for family gatherings, cookouts, meet ups, and she housed many family, friends and those in need of a place to stay. Irma truly lived these words throughout her daily work with God. She was a woman of few words but with a deep, steadfast inner strength. This strength was evident as she battled several health challenges. Like when she suffered pneumonia in 1969 or in 1973 when she fell on ice and raptured her spleen. Or in 2000 with her heart attack and again in 2015 when she had a stroke. Each time the doctors did not think she was going to make it. But she lived to see many more years. She trusted God and can often be heard saying "Don't worry, God will work it out. Believe me." No words can begin to express how much Mother Irma Carter will be missed. She was the glue that held everything together. The lives she touched and the difference she made are reaching throughout the world. Her love, her kindness, her patience, her gentleness, her faith, her strength, are all attributes that embodied the woman, the mother, the grandmother, the sister, the aunt, and the friend. Irma was preceded in death by her daughters, Sandra and Ann, her brothers Kenrick, Kenneth and Selweyn. She leaves to cherish her memory and legacy, her sisters, Ena, Patricia; her brother, Hollis; sons, Frederick, Earl, Kester (Philomen), Llewellyn (Marion); daughter, Allison (Lynser), 13 grandchildren 13 great-grands, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends . Viewing Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Friday, September 02, 2016 03:00 PM - 08:00 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service Higher Dimension Christian Center Saturday, September 03, 2016 09:00 AM Email Details 2900 Liberty Heights Ave
Baltimore, MD Funeral to begin @ 10A Directions