Grayson County TXGenWeb

West Hill Cemetery
Sherman, Texas

Mrs. O.A. Carr
1846 - 1907
"Carr-Burdette College is her own monument
"Founded Built and Donated by Her"
"For 42 years a teacher in Australia, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas"
"From Youth a Christian with High ideal she devoted her life to uplift and save"

Dallas News
November 14, 1912

Sherman, Tex., Nov. 13 - Dr. O.A. Carr, President of Carr-Burdette College of Sherman, died in this city this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock after a long illness. Dr. Carr was perhaps one of the best know educators in the South. He was born at Mays Lick, Ky., Feb. 1845, securing the rudiments of an education in his native town. Later he entered the University of Kentucky at Lexington, Ky., where he finished with high honors. On March 26, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Mattie Myers of Mays Lick, also a graduate of the University of Kentucky and immediately after the marriage Dr. and Mrs. Carr left for Australia, as missionaries of the Christian Church. They stayed in that country until 1873, Dr. Carr carrying on evangelical work for the church and Mrs. Carr establishing a school for young ladies at Melbourne. In 1873 they made a tour of the Orient and returned to America. In 1894 Dr. and Mrs. Carr came to Sherman and established Carr-Burdette College, a school for young ladies. Mrs. Carr died five years ago, and was buried in West Hill Cemetery in this city. Dr. Carr has carried on the work at the college since her death until the end of the last term, when he announced that Dr. J.L. Anderson, formerly of the Texas Christian University, would henceforth be in active charge. Dr. Carr's health began to decline shortly after the close of the school last year, and notwithstanding the fact that he has had attention of the best physicians and nurses, he did not improve. Recently, he went to Sulphur, Ok. to try the water there, when he returned home only a few days ago he told some of his friends that he felt much better than he had for some time, and the announcement of his death this afternoon proved a shock to the citizenship of Sherman, and to many of his nearest friends.
Funeral services will be held at the Houston Street Christian Church Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Elder R.D. Smith, the pastor, and burial will be beside his wife in West Hill Cemetery.
Dr. Carr is survived by a brother, R.A. Carr of Mayfield, Ky., and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Goodard of Mount Carmel, Ky., and Mrs. Minnie R. Fox of Stonegap, Va. The latter is the mother of John Fox, Jr., the author. He was very successful in his financial investments and leaves large property interest in Wichita, Topeka, Kan. and Kansas City and Springfield, Mo. He is also a large land owner in Grayson County. While it does not come from an authoritative source, it is stated here today that he leaves Carr-Burdett College a handsome endowment by his will.