Sammy Lee Carter

I knew Sam for over 65 years, sadded day when I heard he had passed, a true friend, we went to school together in Taos till he moved to Espanola in 1960. We both had Cushman scooters when we lived at Pot Creet. When I graduated in 1961 I moved to Albq and rented a small apt and was working at Loyd McKee car dealership. Sam was working at OK tire store on Lomas and driving from Santa Fe every day. Soon he moved in with me. I would work all day, and stop by the tire shop to chat with Sam for a awhile, he worked the mignight shift. I went home and went to bed. Sam would get home about 1AM. We were so poor we had one plate, 1 coffee pot, one pot to cook beans in, 1 skillet, 1 coffee cup. We never ate at the same time as we worked different hours. One night I came home Sam had burnt some beans in the pot and did not clean it, so I put some oat meal in the coffee pot, Sam woul always get home around 1;30 and would make a cup of coffee and unwind before going to bed. You could hear the roof raise when Sam poured himself a cup of coffee with oat meal in it. We were always joking and playing pranks on each other. I was called into the Army in Jan 62 over the Cuban missle crises, and shipped to Germany. Sam went into the Army in 64 . When I got out in 65, I settled in Ohio, and when Sam got out they moved to Calif for a short time so we did not see each other for over 10 years or so, although I still visited his parents. (none better) When then moved back to N.M I would always look him up and we would visit. Many times when we went through Albq we would stop and visit him and Elane. Later years he would drive up to Taos and meet me there. I would usually call and talk with him on July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I bought a couple trucks off Sam and the New Mexico license plate has been on my wall for many years. RIP Sam,never forget you. John White

I remember Sam having a Cushman motor scooter when we were kids and he let me ride it around the sawmill camp. We had a lot of fun growing up together and enjoying those mountains and creeks and sawdust piles.

Dwight Lambert