Lurine Elizabeth Scruggs Carter was born August 15, 1933 in Gonzales County, Texas to the union of the late Frank Scruggs, Jr. and Willie Hampton Scruggs. Lurine accepted Christ and was baptized at Harper's Chapel Baptist Church in 1944, under the leadership of Rev. I. H. Harper. She along with her family united with the St. Luke Baptist Church in 1948 under the leadership and guidance of Rev. W. J. Johnson Lurine relocated to San Antonio, Texas with her family in January 1944. Lurine received her education in the San Antonio Independent School District attending Grant Elementary School, Paul Lawrence Dunbar Junior School and graduating from Phyllis Wheatley High School in 1953. She continued her education attending St. Philip's College and San Antonio College. Later, Lurine attended Draughon's Business College in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1965. While traveling with her husband and family, she was employed by the Army and Air Force Exchange, Tyndall Air Force Base, and Elgin Air Force Base, both located in the state of Florida from 1954 until January 1956. Lurine began her civil service career in Fontaine Bleau, France where she organized and ran the branch library at Chambley Air Force Base in the country of France as a GS employee from September 1961 to March 1963. This took place during the Berlin Crisis and also during the era of President John F. Kennedy. She also worked in Remote Housing, Chambley Air Force Base also in France. After returning to the United States, her husband was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas. Lurine was unable to continue her Civil Service Career because of the color of her skin. She was employed by the Wichita Falls State Hospital from October 1964 until January 1966. She resumed her civil service career at Randolph Air Force Base and later Kelly Air Force Base, until her husband was assigned to Fresno, California. In Fresno, Lurine was the first minority to be employed by the United States Forest Service, from January 1967 until August 1968. She returned to San Antonio in August 1968 and began working in the accounting department at Fort Sam Houston, Texas until November 1984. Lurine later sought employment in Dallas, Texas as a Fiscal Accounting Supervisor with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Her job offer was rescinded because of her Equal Employment opportunity complaints; however, she relocated to Dallas anyway. Lurine worked many different jobs while in Dallas. Some were full and some part time. She completed numerous Budgeting and accounting correspondence courses for which she received superior grades while working in accounting over thirty years. Lurine received numerous sustained superior performance awards; bronze Zero Defects Award, dozens of letters and Commendations from all her supervisors, both in and out of the government. Lurine finally retired from the Internal Revenue Service, November 1988, but she continued to work for the Mobile Corporation until she relocated back to San Antonio, Texas May 28, 1998. Lurine's travels included places such as Fontaine Bleau, France near Paris, 1956 to 1959; Yokosuka and Tokyo, Japan 1998; Honolulu, Hawaii and Guam, 2002; Ramstein, Germany 2010; Barcelona, Spain, Brussels, Belgium, Sacramento and Fresno, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, Niagara Falls, Canada, Chicago, Illinois, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Washington, D. C., Atlanta, Georgia, Orlando, Florida, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Virginia Beach, Virginia, New York, New York and many other places too numerous to name.
Lurine was a part of many organizations such as; The Methodist 55 Plus Club, Phyllis Wheatley Alumni, PACE Neighborhood Organization, EX-POSE Ex-partners of Services Members for Equality, NAACP, West Side Community 1970 to 1974, National Federal Employed Women since 1968, She also participated in other organizations such as Oasis and many others. Lurine led a very active and charitable life, taking great pleasure in helping others. Much of her time was spent caring for ill relatives, friends and others that were in need in her neighborhood. She was known as the neighborhood cook. She was also active in the church community, volunteering her time and service. Lurine united in holy matrimony to Limer Carter in 1953, and two sons were born to this union, Bruce and Dwayne. Lurine and Limer along with their children traveled the world extensively together in the United States and abroad, as he served in the United States Air Force. Lurine will be sadly missed and happily remembered by a host of survivors. She leaves to embrace her memory, her two sons Bruce A. Carter (Shukumi), Dwayne K. Carter (Rosemary), nine grandchildren; Gabrielle L. Henderson (Rodney), Fort Gordon, Georgia, Scherrie L. Bean (Jeremy), Las Vegas, Nevada, Dominique A. Carter, Briana Mirai Carter, Haille Carter, Ashlee C. Carter, Shannon M. Carter and Branden K. Carter, step granddaughter, Catrice Hopersberger (Dan), several great grandchildren; Nylah Henderson, Jasmine Henderson, Kyle A. Bean, Alexis Hopersberger, Gabrielle Hopersberger and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts in law and a host of friends.