Carpenter's Department Store is possibly Maiden's oldest store.

Mrs. M.F. Carpenter

Artist Chose Life of Small Town

Genealogy is a hobby with Mrs. M. Frank Carpenter of Maiden.
The Maiden shopkeeper has been teased about giving up art to become a Carpenter and many a person has looked at some of the water colors, oils, and pastels hanging on her walls and thought how very far she might have gone in the art field had she not chosen to be the wife of a Maiden merchant. She lists old Catawba College among the places where she taught art. Fired copper and painted china are among her collection of many years interest in the field.

She continues to "do" coat of arms and thinks every family should keep records of ancestors. "One of the best ways to establish lines is to visit family burying plots for dates of birth and death." She tells some facinating stories dating back to the days of Tory conflicts.

The former Sue Betty Michael was born at Davidson College but by the time she was of school age her father had moved to Newton in order that his family might be educated at Catawba College so this is where she started to school in the primary department.

Mrs. Carpenter continued the company after her husband's death in the early 1930's with the aid of Grover Taylor for a while, and a nephew, Joe Warlick, who continues to offer her assistance.

She is a member of the DAR, Maiden Study Club, the Virginia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Colonists, the Republican Party, Memorial Evangical and Reformed Church, and was a charter member of Maiden Garden Club (now referred to as Number One) and for a long time was active in Girl Scouting.

She expresses a desire for more industry to come to Maiden for it might be a means of keeping the young people here and of bringing more of them back.