George Benjamin Carson

GEORGE BENJAMIN CARSON George Benjamin Carson, 86, died May 16, 2010. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Gertrude Clark and Robert Henry Carson. He suffered a hearing loss from birth and learned at an early age to make friends by telling jokes and amusing stories. He married Velda Pearson in 1942 and served in the Army during World War II. In 1961, he bought a distributorship from Toms Snack foods that covered three counties. He moved his family from Miami to Sebring, retiring in 1979. George then helped his wife manage Veldas Golden Villas until her death in 1999. To keep active, he worked part time at the Elks Club and The Palms of Sebring. He continued his love of writing short humorous stories and published an account of his youth called, Growing Up in the Thirties. He married his second wife, Ernestine Baxter in 2001 and they spent seven happy years together. George was a member of The First Baptist Church of Sebring. His last two years were spent at Balmoral Assisted Living Facility in Lake Placid. Through his life, Mr. Carson made his family an important priority. He is survived by two daughters; Vera Walker and June (Smith) Elam; four grandchildren; Natalie Rosier, Tresa Rabchuk, Eddie Smith, Jr. and Benjamin Smith; two great-grandchildren; Emily Smith and Mia Smith. The family will receive friends Thursday, May 20, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Sebring. Services will begin at 12:00 p.m., George Parsons officiating, with interment at Pinecrest Cemetery immediately following. Memorial donations may be made to Gideons International in his memory. Arrangements have been entrusted to: Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home Sebring, Florida 33870 863-385-0125