Fannie May “Fran” Laird Carter, age 104, of Paducah, Kentucky, passed away at 2:34 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Ray & Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center at Lourdes Mercy Health.
Fran was born September 7, 1921, in Benton, Illinois, to Joe Fred Laird and Mary Ann Clark Laird.
She was of the Church of Christ faith and was a retired Licensed Practical Nurse.
Living to 104 years old, Fran witnessed and embraced more than a century of extraordinary change. From a childhood shaped by handwritten letters, radios, and dirt roads to an era of smartphones, jet travel, and modern medicine, her life spanned one of the most transformative periods in human history. Through it all, she carried herself with resilience, adaptability, independence, and the quiet strength of the Greatest Generation.
During World War II, Fran served her country in the war effort as a true “Rosie the Riveter,” working in a Chicago aircraft factory. Following her marriage, she and her husband built their lives around the former Carter Concrete Products, where she played an active and hands-on role in the daily operations of what became a four-generation family-owned company. Never one to shy away from hard work, Fran could often be found helping around the property and even moving trucks and equipment when needed. Above all, she was deeply devoted to her family in her roles as a wife, mother, and grandmother.
Nursing was also a defining part of Fran’s life. She spent many years caring for others in nursing home care, later earning her Licensed Practical Nurse certification in 1971. Her nursing career was a source of great pride, as was the independence she maintained throughout her life, living in her own home until the age of 100.
Survivors include two sisters, Mitzie Harris and Wanda Newbury; four grandchildren, Bruce Carter, Tracy Gowen, Charles Carter, and Chris Carter; nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Clay Carter; two stepsons, Jesse James Carter and Curtis Carter; one granddaughter, Constance Embree; one sister, Mary Newbury; and one brother, James Fred Laird.
A private graveside service for family will be held Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery, Benton, IL. There will be no visitation.
Arrangements are being handled by Milner & Orr Funeral Home.
