Aileen McCarter was born February 8 1927 in Joplin, Missouri. She was the fifth child of Joseph E. and Lydia Pendleton Green. She had eight brothers and sisters: William Joseph, Charles Howard who died in infancy, Anna Leona, Richard Paul, Alice Evelyn, Patrick Henry, Glenna Mae, and Robert Eugene. Aileen (no middle name or initial) was named due to her mother being a fan of Aileen Pringle, a highly successful and popular stage actress. One of Pringle’s first high-profile roles was in the Rudolph Valentino 1920 film Stolen Moments.
Aileen and her brothers and sisters were raised primarily in the Chitwood neighborhood. She remembered with fondness the family importance of having the love and support of relatives living close by including Aunt Anna Pendleton, Uncle William Houston, Uncle Henry, Able Pendleton, Uncle Jerry and Aunt Etta Pendleton, cousins Nina and Lillian (Shorty) Sill, Anna Louise, William Henry, and Lyle Aaron Sill, Kathleen, Maxine, David and Jackie Pendleton. Aileen also remembered that Chitwood was a well planned community with a doctor, (J.M. Gray M.D.) who owned the local drug store, delivered all of the babies and made house calls to care for the sick. There also was the convenience of a grocery store, (Galey Bailey owner), barber shop (Johnny Mills, owner), gasoline station, three large red brick building that could have been a dry goods or hardware store, an attorney, Longfellow grade school, two churches, (Methodist and Pentecostal), scheduled railroad trains that provided ample excitement, and Schiffendecker Park. Her uncle Henry Able Pendleton and community men were the builders of the Methodist Church. She further remembered that artist painted church member’s portraits across the east width of the sanctuary wall.
Aileen attended Joplin Senior High School where she made lifelong friends: Phyllis Gilbert, Dorothy McDonald, Wilma Arnold and Bob Boaz. In later years they all lived in the Kansas City area and continued their friendship. Aileen was enrolled in the Diversified Occupations class during her high school years. The Hotel Connor Kit Kat and Rendezvous were Aileen’s daily afternoon and evening cashier employment. She was a member of the Castalian Literary Society and served as vice president.
Following her graduation from high school she was employed at Wilder's, where she met Gene Strader. They were married October 20, 1945. Walter Eugene Strader was the son of Russell Strader and Doris Ryan. Aileen and Gene’s only child, Jean Aileen Strader Jay, was born June 26, 1947. They resided in Joplin for 3 years and then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. They were members of the First Methodist Church. Gene was one of several pit bosses at the Golden Nugget. He was well known and well respected. Gene’s death, October 26, 1965, was front page news featured in the Las Vegas Sun Newspaper.
Following Gene’s death, Aileen moved from Las Vegas back to Joplin to be near her family once again. Aileen continued her college education and met Theodore Darrel McCarter who was a Hoechst Pharmaceutical professional representative. They were married February 22, 1969 at the Blue Ridge United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Missouri. While living in the Kansas City area, Aileen was employed by the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music - Kansas City, Missouri, Continental Insurance Companies, Lloyd Andersen and Associates, Inc. and Columbia College.
Following Ted and Aileen McCarter’s retirement they were residents of Delaware County, Oklahoma, Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Northeast Oklahoma. During their Oklahoma residency, they were members of First United Methodist Church, Grove Oklahoma. They were members of the Methodist Church Chancel Choir and the Thomas Class. Aileen also served as a Counselor for SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) Grove Chapter. Aileen graduated from the Columbia College – Columbia Missouri in 1978 with an Associates In Arts Degree with a concentration in business. After living in Oklahoma on Grand Lake of the Cherokees for several years, Aileen and Ted moved to Overland Park, Kansas in January 1996 to be near family and Aileen’s daughter after Ted was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Aileen was a steadfast and loving care giver for Ted until he passed away in 2003. Aileen continued to live in Overland Park, Kansas to be near her daughter and son-in-law until her death on February 16, 2015 which was only a few days after she celebrated her 88th birthday.
Aileen was a member of the CORE (Church of the Resurrection Methodist Church where she and Ted were both members of the CORE Chancel Choir. Aileen became very involved in genealogy and researched both the Greens and Pendletons. One of her major contributions was a biography of each sibling and her mother and dad which she shared with the family. The biographies wrote brought so much of each of their lives back to today’s time by capturing their lives for generations to come. Daughter Jeanne and cousin Cynthia loved reading the biographies with Aileen and telling her how wonderful the biographies were and especially Cynthia’s father’s Richard Paul Green. Cynthia thought this was one of the greatest gifts that Aileen could give us and told her so. Aileen loved giving her heirs this gift that told the stories of why we loved them all so much.
Aileen was predeceased by her parents, Lydia and Joseph Green, her brothers and sisters, William Joseph, Charles Howard, Anna Leona, Richard Paul, Alice Evelyn, Patrick Henry, and Glenna Mae, her first husband, Walter Eugene Strader, her second husband, Theodore McCarter. She is also survived by her only child, Jean Aileen Strader Jay, her son-in-law, James Weaver Jay, her granddaughters, Elizabeth Robinson and her husband, Thomas Wilkes Robinson, M.D. and their two children, Thomas Robinson and Caroline Robinson of Dothan, Alabama and Kathy Wegmuller, and her two sons, Alex and Christopher of Geneva, Switzerland. She also leaves her many nieces and nephews, and many friends, especially the following friends: Annette Heart, Georgia Kelley and her life-long friend Phyllis Gilbert. Aileen has been a much loved and cherished mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, aunt, sister, and friend to many and will be dearly missed. Aileen’s life was truly guided by the following: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, FAITH, GENTLENESS, and SELF CONTROL
Graveside services will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Osborne Cemetery with Tim Sumners officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary & Crematory.
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