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People to People Brings Couple Together
by Linda Mittelstet Carter
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In 1964, the State 4-H Round-up was in progress,
and delegates had already been selected for the
Oklahoma 4-H People to People Goodwill Tour.
While I was in a meeting with Ray Parker, one of
the State 4-H leaders, he introduced me to
Emmett Carter, a Collegiate 4-H member. Emmett
decided that he had to go on the European Tour
after meeting me! It was love at first sight,
and Emmett thought that going on the trip would
be an ideal opportunity to catch me before
someone else did. Emmett’s Dad gave him a heifer
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calf each year, and as the calves matured and
went into the dairy herd, they helped pay for his college
tuition. There was an opening on the tour, and after he was
approved, he asked his parents to sell four of his cows to
pay the $1,200 cost of the trip.
There were 55 teens with rural backgrounds in our group, and
the leaders were Mr. Ira Hollar and Ms. Jan Carnes, both
State 4-H Leaders. We departed from New York after spending
a day at the World’s Fair and another day sightseeing in New
York City. In 21 days we toured Denmark,
Czechoslovakia, West Germany, East Berlin, Hungry, France,
Belgium, England and Scotland. We visited agricultural areas
as well as historic sites. A popular stop was the wine
tasting at the vineyards! Our dress code was
very strict. The men had to wear a suit and tie. The women
had to wear a dress, hat and dress shoes. We had to set a
good example because we were representing the United States.
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The trip was a great experience, and it
was very well planned. We stayed in hotels, ate good
food and boarded many planes. We have many wonderful
memories, such as Tivoli Gardens, Hyde Park, Big
Ben, Eiffel Tower, castles, and the beautiful
countryside of Scotland and Denmark.
Emmett and I have been married 38 years. We have two
children and two grandchildren. Emmett is a CPA, and
I recently retired after teaching for 30 years. What
a bargain for a $1,200 investment! |
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