Della Louise (Cook) Carter

Della Louise (Cook) Carter, 86, of Viola, Arkansas passed from this life on Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Viola, Arkansas. Della was born November 18, 1938, to Delmer Dewitt Cook and Ruth Zella (Waddle) Cook in Seiling, Oklahoma. 

Della grew up on her family farm and worked as a waitress with her mother, who was a cook, at the Seiling Cafe. A few years after Della graduated from high school she moved to Wichita, Kansas and worked there selling flight insurance at the Highway Inn near the Municipal Airport. Later Della worked as a machinist for Cessna Aircraft making the wings for the big jets. Della met her future husband Bob Carter in Wichita, Kansas. Della was united in marriage to Bobby Rex Carter on May 24, 1965, in Miami, Oklahoma. Della and Bob moved to Viola, Arkansas where they built their home and had Carter Trucking Inc. and farmed. Della and Bob enjoyed riding their Indian motorcycles which later became Honda Goldwings. They enjoyed dancing, fishing, hunting deer, quail, and pheasant. After their daughter Teresa was born, they continued to do what they loved, they would pack her up and away they went. Della enjoyed decorating, making floral arrangements and traveled to many Home Interiors decor parties with her daughter, and they helped decorate people's homes. She and Teresa were truly best friends. Della would travel to the bank seminars with Teresa, as she was a bank teller, Della would babysit Bobbielynn, who she greatly adored, at the hotel just so Teresa would not have to leave Bobbielynn with a babysitter. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, and was of the Pentecostal faith. 

Della leaves to mourn her passing son, Clinton Carter of West Plains, Missouri; daughter, Teresa Trett and husband Tommy of Viola, Arkansas; two grandchildren, Bobbielynn Trett (Corey Clinkenbeard) of Viola, Arkansas and Justin Carter of Seattle, Washington; one great granddaughter; brother, Gene Cook (Alice Parker) of Longdale, Oklahoma; two sisters, Peggy Murphy of Woodward, Oklahoma and Bonita Boston of Woodward, Oklahoma; many other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother (Millard “Pumpkin” Cook), and sister-in-law (Merle Beaver and husband Coy). 

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Arkansas with Bro. John Hodges officiating. Visitation will be 1:00 P.M. until time of service on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Arkansas. Interment will be Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at the Flint Springs Cemetery in Viola, Arkansas; Pallbearers will be Corey Clinkenbeard, Floyd Johnson, Daniel Sanders, Preston Swingle, Joel Huett and Lendel Erby. Honorary pallbearers will be Gene Cook, Ricky Cook, Gene Dunn, Clinton Carter, and Tommy Trett. Memorials may be made to the Flint Springs Cemetery at the Bank of Salem. Arrangements are under the direction of Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Arkansas.