John Lawrence Carter

John Lawrence Carter passed away January 26 at Homestead Memory Care of Eudora, KS. He was born October 12, 1937 in Topeka to John Simerwell Carter and Margaret (Shipman) Carter. The Carters are descendants of the Simerwell family who came to Kansas in the 1830s as missionaries to the Pottawatomie's.

He graduated from Washburn Rural High School in 1955, attended Washburn University for one year, and then spent four years in the US Navy as an electronic technician. He then enrolled at the University of Kansas and earned a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1964. He continued on to receive an MS and later PhD in Civil Engineering in 1968.

He worked for American Oil Company in Hammond IN and then was an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Marquette University from 1972-1974. He then was an Assistant Professor at Michigan Technological University from 1974-1979. When his father died suddenly he returned to Kansas to be near his mother and to attend Bible College and to be employed by Black & Veatch in Kansas City. He later was employed by Smith & Loveless in Lenexa, KS, where he designed an innovative waste water treatment plant and often traveled to help install the units. As a consulting engineer he traveled to numerous locations all over the world, troubleshooting existing plants, proposing his companies' products and services to various companies and governments. Even after officially retiring in 2012 he continued to work remotely almost full time.

John was a part of the American Water Works Association, ordained minister for the Assembly of God, a member of the NRA, and Greater Missouri Ostriches Organization.

He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, spending time with the grandkids, traveling, ministry and bible teaching.

All the while he was working as an engineer, he was drawn back to his agricultural roots and bought an 80 acre farm in Michigan where he had two milk cows, pigs, and chickens and grew feed for them and a large vegetable garden for the family. He later raised ostriches on 18 acres near Weston MO.
At the same time he pastored the Troy Assembly of God Church in Troy KS and was licensed and later ordained while there.

He lived for 7 years in Gilbert AZ, sharing a house with his youngest daughter and her family, before returning to Kansas in 2019.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son, Reuben Simerwell Carter; a sister Jean Dauzenroth; and brother Charles Carter.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Janet (Engleson) Carter of Tonganoxie, two sons: John Halvor Carter (Janice ) of Olathe, and Paul Roy Carter (Jenny) of Lakeland FL; three daughters: Carla Ruth Lackey (Kevin) of rural Highland KS, Amy Louise Miller (Richard) of rural Tonganoxie, and Elizabeth Simerwell Harp (Joshua) of Phoenix, AZ; and one brother, Richard Carter of Topeka KS. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and many other family members.

A Funeral Ceremony will be 2:00 pm, Saturday, January 30, 2021 at the Penwell-Gabel, 1321 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service. A graveside service will follow at Simerwell Cemetery, Auburn, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer's Association - Topeka 3625 SW 29th St. Suite 102, Topeka, KS, 66614 .

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