Minnie Carpenter turned 101years-old on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. Carpenter was born in Oklahoma. She was one of seven siblings, being exactly in the middle. Her family moved to Littlefield, Texas in 1925, when Carpenter was four-years-old.
Carpenter said when her family moved to Littlefield, she lived across the street from a woman who owned a windmill.
“We lived across the street from a lady that had a windmill and in the summer time we liked to get fresh water from her. It tasted better,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter eventually met her first husband, Grover Dingus.
“Probably it’s not how, but it’s where. In Missouri. We met when he was in the service in Brownwood,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter’s daughter, Vickie Pierce, said her family does not really know how Carpenter met Dingus.
“Well, we thought they met in Brownwood when he was there during World War II. Her sister and her husband were in Brownwood, but it may have been Missouri. So bottom line is we don’t know,” said Pierce.
Carpenter said she did all the housework for Dingus and their four children.
“Dishes. Dishes. Making beds. All kinds of house work,” Carpenter said.
Vickie Pierce said Carpenter and Dingus lived in Missouri for two years until they decided to move back to Texas.
“After she and daddy got married, this was during World War II, they moved to Missouri and I was born in Missouri in 1946 and I only, not that I remember, but I was like three-months-old when they moved to Texas. I would say she probably lived in Missouri about two years,” Pierce said.
Carpenter eventually attended South Plains College in Levelland to become a bookkeeper. She worked at CR Anthony and Britain Pharmacy.
“I worked for CR Anthony for 20 years, I believe, and I worked at Britain Pharmacy for 20 years. That’s 40 years. That’s a lifetime right there. I was the clerk and at Britain I was bookkeeper,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said her first husband, Grover Dingus, died in Missouri.
Vickie Pierce said Carpenter and Dingus were married for 42 years before he died of cancer in 1981.
Pierce said Carpenter was a widow for 25 years before meeting her second husband, Charles Carpenter, at Senior Citizens in Littlefield. Minnie and Charles have been married for 16 years.
“Mr. Carpenter has been very good to her, very good for her,” Pierce said.
Minnie Carpenter said one of the things she enjoys doing is having Senior Citizens every Wednesday.
“I don’t know if you’d call it fun but I enjoy going to Senior Citizens and when I was growing up my favorite thing was rollerskating. We have Senior Citizens every Wednesday. We have a meal at noon for Senior Citizens everybody brings a dish...Somebody makes the main dish. The rest just bring whatever they want to and we usually end up with a pretty good meal. Recipes exchanged and what have you,” Carpenter said.
Vickie Pierce said they had cake on Friday with Minnie and the rest of the Harmonee House residents.
“We’re going to have cake with the residents at Harmonee House. Friday evening we’re going to have a small family gathering and have dinner with her. My husband and I are leaving in the morning to come to Littlefield and my sister was supposed to arrive from Colorado... and then I have a brother that lives in Littlefield. A brother and his wife and then we have a brother in Missouri that’s not going to be able to make it this trip,” Pierce said.
Carpenter said her maternal grandfather was a doctor and he believed the secret to a long life were pink pills.
“If you had asked me that say 75 or 80 years ago, I would’ve said pink pills. Every time we even thought about being sick, pink pills. My mother’s daddy was a doctor and...I don’t know what kind of pills they were except they were pink. I haven’t had any I guess since my mother passed away. Lot of people would have said Epsom salt. That was worse than pink pills. It took longer to go down. Yuck,” Carpenter said, scrunching up her nose in disgust.
Pierce said she learned how to be a good employee and a good work ethic from her mother, Minnie.
“ She... raised us kids. We learned our work ethic from her. What kind of employees and how to be a good worker. We were raised in church. Obviously, when she was younger, she was a lot of fun. We always had a good time. She’s been a good grandmother to all of our children. She’s just a good person,” Pierce said.