Emogene Holland Carter, born Aug. 21, 1926, graduated January 5, 2016.

Mrs. Carter was born and spent her formative years in Wynne, Ark.

Achieving early success in music, she attended Hendrix College and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in music. After a brief time as piano instructor at Michigan State University, she settled in Rolling Fork, where she taught piano and chorus. There she met her husband Wallace and raised her family within the extended Carter family.

Wallace, “Gramps,” was her life mate and remained a very significant part of her life. For her, Rolling Fork was, and will always be, considered home.

She joined Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church soon after marriage and served there as organist and choir director for over 60 years.

Her roles as teacher and choir director fit Emogene for a lifetime. Whether teaching high school chorus in the 1950s, taking accomplished piano students to state contests in the 1960s or teaching Christmas carols to inmates at Issaquena County Correctional Facility in the 2000s, Miss Emogene was always in her element teaching music and her class had better pay attention.

In 2012, she moved to Montgomery, Ala. to be near her daughter Fern.  She loved her home and friends at Oak Grove Inn and loved getting to see her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren on a more frequent basis.  She was an active member at Young Meadows Presbyterian Church. And indeed, she did lead music events at Oak Grove.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Wallace; her parents, Bernerd and Fern Holland; and her sister and brother-in-law, Bernie and Tom Bailey.

She is survived by her daughter, Fern Smith and husband Kirby of Montgomery, Ala.; and by her son, Buzz Carter and wife Jicki of Nashville, Tenn. She is also survived by grandchildren, Bo Smith, Kelly Smith Kratochvil and husband Adam, Zack Smith and wife Laura, Caroline Smith and husband Andrew, and Jane Moore and husband Cameron; great-grandchildren include Abigail, Benjamin and Livia Kratochvil and Emma and Zoe Smith.

She was quick to point out how proud she was of her biological children, but most especially her “chosen” children, Kirby, Jicki, Adam, Laura, Andrew and Cameron.

Funeral Services will be Friday, Jan. 7, at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork at 2 p.m. with visitation at the church at 1.

Graveside service will be at Mound Cemetery following the funeral.

Arrangements are made through Glenwood Funeral Home of Vicksburg.

Memorials should be sent to Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church.