IRON MOUNTAIN - Marlene Carter's surprise was evident when the Beta Sigma Nu Committee came to her door.
"Oh no, I can't believe it," said Carter. "I saw you all at my door and thought, 'What have I done wrong?'"
Carter, of Kingsford, has been selected as the 2008 First Lady of Dickinson County by Beta Sigma Nu Sorority.
Carter said that she and her husband had been to church and they (Beta Sigma Nu First Lady Committee) had to come looking for her.
She said that she was so excited she didn't get much sleep Tuesday night.
Besides being selected as the 2008 First Lady of Dickinson County, she was also nominated as the 2007 Volunteer of the Year of the Breen Avenue Senior Center.
Carter is the daughter of the late Raymond and Elsie (Brown) McCloskey.
She was born and raised in Houghton and is one of three children. Her siblings are Phyllis Arnott of Sault Ste. Marie and Joan Dugener of Florida.
She married Wayne Carter on July 24, 1951, in Escanaba. The Carters moved to Kingsford on Jan. 1, 1960. They have six children: Connie, Daniel, Cindy, Chuck (deceased), Cathy and Bryan. She has 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, with another one on the way.
Marlene gives to the community and enjoys every minute of it. Some of her volunteering services include:
- The Oscar G. Johnson Veterans Affairs Center (information desk and bingo) since 1986, accumulating more than 2,064 hours of volunteering.
- Advisory Board at the Breen Avenue Senior Center.
- Represents the Breen Avenue Senior Center on the Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency (DICSA) Project Council Committee and serves as recording secretary.
- Breen Avenue Senior Center monthly pasty sale worker.
- Volunteering kitchen time at the A&W Restaurant.
- CCD Teacher
- Volunteering with 4-H
- President of the Knights
of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary
- President of her church circle.
When time permits and she isn't volunteering, she enjoys knitting for her grandchildren. She also enjoys playing games on her computer.
The First Lady of Dickinson County Dinner to honor Carter will be held on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Elks Lodge on Cedar Avenue in Iron Mountain at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at First National Bank & Trust Co. of Iron Mountain-Kingsford, Kingsford Branch, South Branch, Northside Branch and Econo Foods Branch, and at Perina's Mata Brown Shop in downtown Iron Mountain.
Additional details will be announced later, officials said.
Angie DuBose's e-mail address is adubose@ironmountaindailynews.com.
