Funeral services for Mr. Earl Cariker, age 95, of the Murvaul Community in Panola County, TX, will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church in Carthage with Rev. Jack Cox and Rev. Sara Curley officiating under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Gary Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4-6 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. Mr. Cariker passed away on Wednesday morning, Sept. 12, 2012, in Carthage, TX.

George Earl Cariker was born on Sept. 5, 1917, in the Dotson Community of Panola County to George Jefferson and Carlie Cassity Cariker. He graduated from Gary High School with the class of 1934. Mr. Cariker married Bernice Marie Latham on July 17, 1937, in Gary. Mr. Cariker studied at the College of Marshall and Texas A&M University, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from East Texas Baptist University, and a Master of Arts Degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. He did post-graduate work at the University of Houston and Southern Methodist University. Mr. Cariker's passion for public school education was evidenced by his 49 years of service as teacher and administrator. He taught at the Murvaul Community School, Gary I.S.D., Harleton I.S.D., and Carthage I.S.D. for 38 years. He served as Asst. Superintendent at Carthage I.S.D. from March of 1972 until June 1987. His debate teams won several state championships and competed at the national level. He was a pioneer in educational media in East Texas and he directed his own students in the mid-1950's in live broadcasts of Carthage High School Presents on KGAS Radio. He was instrumental in starting CHS-TV and served as Executive Producer/Director and host of Carthage Schools Presents until he retired from that post in 2001. He was a long-time member of the Carthage Kiwanis Club where he was named Outstanding Kiwanian in 1974 and 2008 and served as Distinguished Lt. Governor of Division 14-TX OK District from 1976-77. He served as Regional Counselor for Key Clubs in the TX/OK District for 10 years. He was named the Panola County Volunteer of the Year in 1984. He was named Panola County Citizen of the Year 1997. He served as President of the East Texas Schools Men's Club, Treasurer of District VIII State Teachers Assn., President of Panola County State Teachers Assn., and Vice-President of the Texas Speech Assn. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa and has served on the Texas Committee of the Southern Assn. of Colleges and Schools in addition to the East Texas Council of Governments. He served as Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Panola County United Fund and was a member of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Murvaul United Methodist Church where he served as a Lay Leader and taught Sunday school for many years. He enjoyed quail hunting, reading, and making new friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Bernice who passed away on Apr. 10, 2002. He is survived by two sons, Earl Cariker, Jr. and wife Susan of Austin, TX and Kevin Cariker and wife Leslie of Rockwall, TX; one daughter, Kay Kennedy and husband Dr. Frazier Kennedy of Little Rock, AR; two brothers, Gene Cariker of St. Simon Island, GA and Oran Cariker of Lake Charles, LA; six grandchildren, Jennifer Weil and husband Matt, Jeff Cariker and wife Alison, Laurie Pennington and husband Don, Emily Cariker, Jacob Cariker, and Michael Kennedy and wife Jill, and five great grandchildren, Earl and Eva Weil, Charlotte Kennedy, Eli Cariker and Eden Reichert.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the Earl and Bernice Cariker Memorial Scholarship Fund, Carthage Education Foundation, #1 Bulldog Drive, Carthage, TX 75633


Serving as pallbearers will be Stacy Cranford, Wade Barlow, Donnie Pitchford, Mark Baisden, Robert Mason, Chris White, and Scott Cockrum.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com.