James Lee Carter

Jim married Nancy Marie Eisenman of Fremont, Ohio, in Marquette. She survives him.

He was a graduate of Grand Marais High School, and received a bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, and a master’s from Northern Michigan University, both in history. He did additional graduate work at the University of Michigan.

Jim retired from NMU in 1996 after 30 years in education. He was a teacher at Grand Marais, Grand Rapids, and Spring Lake before becoming a journalist in 1964 when he returned to the Upper Peninsula as interim staffer at the Munising News. Later that year he joined the editorial staff of the Mining Journal in Marquette where he remained until 1968 when he became a technical writer and later assistant director of the Office of Research & Development at NMU. In 1975 he was named the university’s news director, a position he held until retirement. He remained active as a writer, editor, and consultant in the publishing field.

While at NMU, Jim also served as director of the NMU Press–a book publishing operation, editor of the Northern News-Review newspaper, and was editor of the alumni magazine, Horizons. He helped establish and was advisor to the Nishnawbe News–a regional newspaper published by Native American students, helped start NMU’s Native American program, and remained involved with the program over the years and during retirement. He was recipient of the NMU Center of Native American Studies’ Humanitarian Award. Active in environmental concerns, he helped organize NMU’s first Earth Day observance in 1970.

In 1971 Jim established the Grand Marais Pilot & Pictured Rocks Review newspaper. He was involved in many activities there over the years, where he and his family enjoyed their cottage, Sucker River camp and family home.

Interested in Great Lakes history, he was author/editor of books on local and Great Lakes area history, articles in historical journals, chapters in several books, and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. He received the Charles Follo Award from the Historical Society of Michigan for his work on Upper Peninsula history, and received awards from the Marquette and Alger County historical societies. He was a charter member of the Alger County Historical Society, and served many years on the Board of Trustees of the Marquette County Historical Society, assisting the Society in editing and publishing books on Upper Peninsula history. He was a charter member of the Michigan Historical Preservation Review Board in Lansing, which reviewed all nominations in Michigan to the National Register, serving 12 years, including a term as president. He had a special lifelong interest in the history of the Grand Marais area, and was a member of its historical society.

Jim helped organize the Marquette County Habitat for Humanity, serving on its Board of Directors and Site Selection Committee, and was a publicist for many years for the United Way and Big Brothers of Marquette County.

A member of the Nature Conservancy, he was appointed by the Burt Township Board, Grand Marais, to be its agent in the acquisition of the nearby Donahey Woods wilderness preserve on Lake Superior, with assistance of the Conservancy. He was also an early promoter of the establishment of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and was active in efforts to place the Little Presque Isle and Mattson Park areas at Marquette in public ownership.

Jim was a member of St. Peter Cathedral parish, served on its education commission, and was on the advisory board of the diocesan newspaper, the U. P. Catholic. He was an advisor in publishing of the Diocese’s 150th anniversary commemorative volumes. He was a member and past- president of the Marquette Jaycees and was a longtime member of the Marquette Kiwanis Club.

Jim enjoyed carpentry and woodworking, the out-of-doors, cross-country skiing, fishing–particularly on annual trips to Rawhide Lake in Ontario for many years, and bird hunting. He was a Detroit Tigers and Pistons fan. Having a special interest in railroads and their history, Jim produced and published an illustrated map of a number of east-central U.P. logging lines.

He worked for many years to research and publish his family history, and was proud to be a descendant of William Carter who accompanied William Penn to Pennsylvania in 1682 and who helped establish Philadelphia, serving as an early mayor.

In addition to his wife, Nancy, Jim is survived by two daughters, Emily (Kyle) Draper of Tampa, FL, granddaughter, Charlotte, and grandson, Connor Draper; and daughter Catherine (Edison) Tomala of New York City and granddaughters Neve and Vida, and grandson, Edison Tomala. His family, children and grandchildren, brought him special pleasure.

Also surviving are two brothers, David (Florence) of Salem, Oregon, and Brian of Grand Marais, several nieces and nephews, as well as special cousins, Chris and Paula Wilson.

The family will honor Jim’s life with private services later in the summer. Burial will be in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Grand Marais.

Memorials can be made to the Marquette Regional History Center, 145 West Spring St., Marquette, MI 49855, Burt Township Library/Historical Society, PO Box 179, Grand Marais, MI 49839, or to a charity of choice.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services, Marquette, is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at:fassbenderswansonhansen.com