Edith Berniece "Birdie" Carr

Edith Berniece “Birdie” Carr was born February 19, 1943, in Jasper Arkansas. She lived in Arkansas until 1957 when she married the love of her life Buddy Carr and moved to Victorville, California. They lived in California until 1961 when she became pregnant with her first child, David. They moved across country and back home to Arkansas, to stay for two brief years before settling in Oklahoma in 1963. She then had two more children, Dena and Denise.

In 1970, she settled into the home she would live in for the rest of her life. It had a long hall that ran the length of the house and she knew it was the perfect house for her. She worked hard to raise her family and would do anything to protect and help her three children.

Birdie volunteered for the Tulsa Regional Medical Center Guild. She started as a member and eventually held every office until taking the Presidency in 2007. The Guild was successful in providing many students scholarship opportunities to become Nurses or Doctors. Because of her efforts, there are many people in the medical field that can name The Guild as one of the reasons they get to where they are today.

She also trained in CPR and First Aid so she would be prepared to help those in need.

Later in life, Birdie enjoyed her four precious grandchildren and two sweet great-grandchildren. She loved her “babies” with all of her heart and loved to brag about them and show off as many pictures as possible.

Birdie was preceded in death by three sisters, two brothers, and her parents Floye Merle Faught Martin and Ersie London Martin.

She is survived by two sisters Alice and Helen, her husband Buddy, her children David, Dena, and Denise, three granddaughters, one grandson, and two great-granddaughters, her dog Lucy, and many friends and family.





“Birdie” my gal, my wife

Some thoughts about the lady I spent all my life with. She was one in a million. One that who gave to those that knew her a selfless joy that enriched all that came to know her.  It’s like the saying of the old violin that was to be auctioned, the Lord picked her up, tightened up the bow, wiped off the dust and from out of her most precious values emerged tones from a lady with a voice of love, compassion, a hand outstretched to help any with problems, to help those in need.  No matter how much of a hurry we were in, while shopping, in any store, when she saw a young child, she had time to tell them how beautiful they were.  She would look at the mother or dad and say, “You are blessed with an angel. A beautiful little present from God.”

She had a heart of gold and no matter what village we were in, Indian Reservations, Mexico, Haiti, Scotland, Alaska, even on skid row, jails, in homes or assemblies here in Oklahoma. If they were any children around she would hold them, talk to them, and treat them like they were her own.  No matter their skin color, no matter their language, she would take the children in her arms, hold them close and have them laughing in a flash.  If she knew what they liked, the next visit we would have a gift for them.  One time in Old Mexico, Paulina a beautiful little Mexican girl liked unicorns and, you guessed it, the next time we were there Birdie gave Paulina a charm necklace with a unicorn.  Paulina’s eyes lit up like stars. She hugged Birdie and every time we seen Paulina she would hug Birdie, like she was the only lady in the world.  Our last visit to their town, as we were visiting Paulina parents, they told us she was married, but lived several miles away. She called, and told us not to leave until she arrived.  Paulina had a big smile when she walked in the door and said, “Look, Birdie, at my baby!” And did the tears and smiles emerge from all our faces.

One could never get ahead of Birdie, she was witty and had these one liners, that would clear the air on what she was thinking, in just a few words.  Many times I had to think for some time on them before they soaked in. Then I would find myself laughing later she would say, “What are you laughing about?” I would just smile.

Birdie joined the Guild, a volunteer group for the Osteopathic Hospital, she held most every office over her seventeen year membership, and was acting president upon her death.  One year the Blue Angels came to Tulsa and the Guild were chosen to be the welcoming group to the Blue Angels and to sell their merchandise.  As one of the flyboys was about to climb into his bird, he looked at Birdie, who was eating one of her hard candies. He said,”Good lady, give me one of those candies for good luck.” She gave him one, and as Birdie walks away she said to her good friend Ila, “He may think he can get a sugar high sucking on that candy, but when he starts up that bird he will be disappointed.  It’s sugar free. They both laughed.  (Oh yeah! And we both have sweatshirts that say “Blue Angles”.)

Our first trip into Old Mexico, was the city of Terreon, it was hot, and they had no ice for drinks. She gets my attention, “I need ice now!”  I start driving in a strange city, not understanding the language, not even knowing the word ice in Spanish. I finally see a  station, got a guys attention, I say “Ice! Ice! I need ice!” He handed me a sack, and I paid him. When I got back to the RV, Birdie opened the sack, and the ice cubes were so big they wouldn’t fit into her glass. Birdie said, “These Mexicans must have to have their ice shipped in from Texas!”

Birdie likes her hair fixed well. And one Sunday morning, in church, this guy jumps out of his seat and starts putting his hand on people’s heads, prophesying.  Birdie was standing by Sister Hill and said to her, “If he puts his hand on my head, I’ll slap the water out of him! Sister Hill said, “Me too!” The guy came close to those two ladies, looked at them, but never laid a hand on them.  Later she said, “I guess he got my message.”

We were in a Church in Claremore, and a couple of weeks later we were headed for Haiti  for the first time, as missionaries. Everyone had something to say about our trip, and a woman walked back and started talking to Birdie. She spoke like she was prophesying to her. When she finished, she said, “If you don’t understand what I’m saying, shelf it.”

Birdie looked at me and said, “Did she say ‘shove it’!? I’ll deck her!”  I said, “No, Birdie. She said ‘shelf it’.” She settled down.

Birdie and David done lots of scuffling while he was growing up.  David began to grow husker, but it was always mother against son. He must have been about sixteen when things were quiet, but all of a sudden son and mother sparred off.  Birdie had him in a pretty good head hold, but when David put a hip roll on his mother she hit the floor with a thud. Everyone started laughing. Birdie held her hand up, we helped her up, and that was the last match between mother and son.

If for any reason the school gave any of our kids problems, she would stand toe to toe like a hen defending her chicks.  She was so well known as a defender of her children. Even years later, Mr. Dossett, the principle of all the Owasso area schools, and whenever he saw Birdie in stores or eating places, he says, “Hello Mrs. Carr.”

I asked Birdie several times what is your favorite song, she always replied all of them.  For years our song to dance to was Stardust. In 1997 at a benefit Birdie and I were volunteers to help the Senior Friends, an organization that raised money and food for the less fortunate, but also helped give single retirees a place to eat and have a good time. The Christmas party at the Double Tree Hotel downtown, had a wonderful band. I went up to the band person, and asked them to play Stardust.  That was the last time Stardust was our song, because some time later I heard this song, “Could I have this dance?”, it became our new song.  On our 50th. Anniversary the, Firey family, played and sang our song, as we danced all our kin and friends gave us a standing ovation.  A night we said, we will never forget.

It was because of Birdie and her love for her family, that we found our way on the third Sunday in May going to Cross Roads Cemetery, between Deer and Jasper, Arkansas. We planned to attend decoration.  There she would meet her kinfolks and friends for a day, decorating graves, taking pictures, and afterwards we would go to a beautiful park near by for a picnic, with kin and friends.  (We both said thank God for those years. Those were good times).  Last year there were only a few kin folks, gathering at the cemetery, but we still had a very good time.

It will be at that spot that my ashes will be placed with hers to end the final chapter in the lives of two people who first saw each other one Sunday night, at a old fashion country church meeting. She sit in her uncles pickup bed with her sister and cousins, in a lovely homemade blouse and skirt. Her smile captured my attention as it still does today. We both loved, lived, raised our family, traveled together, she was my gal, a lady, a friend and my all. Making friends and ministering the good news of Jesus Christ where every we went.

This year on the third Sunday of May, at the Cross Road Cemetery, we will come together, around eleven AM, and have a memorial together. I’ll have my guitar, and at her grave site we will remember a lady that was an angel. All are, as she would’ve wanted, invited.

We turned our den into her care room, with all the stuff Healthcare provided and as Birdie was breathing her last breaths of air, I raise my hands toward heaven and said, Birdie tell Jesus and all up there I will be on my way in just a little while.  David and I began to cry and thank the good Lord for his mercy and grace.

I tell everyone and do now, love that mate and children of yours with all your heart, cherish them with all that is with in you, treat them like a present from heaven, for this is the best gift you can give yourself.


Love you all,

Buddy