Otto 'Pop' Carter

Otto ('Pop') Carter, who was born behind the stage where his parents did a dance act, in San Antonio, Texas in 1856, celebrated his 107th at the Gardena roller-skating rink where he worked. His parents were entertainers--toe-dancers. They did a vaudeville act as The Carter Family. His mother lived to 109 and his father to 116. His mother's father lived to 121. Otto and his wife (who died in 1943) and were married on roller skates in 1875 in Indianapolis. They had sixteen children--nine boys and seven girls--with six sets of twins in the bunch. As at 1963 they were all living 'so far as I knew', and there were then 69 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 19 great-great-grandchildren. Otto, his wife and all their children toured the United States and Europe doing a skating act. After vaudeville, they toured rinks doing exhibitions. A lot of their act was acrobatic, like barrel jumping. For eight years prior to 1963 Otto had a Job as skate checker at the Rollerama, 2040 W. Rosecrans Blvd in Gardena. He worked six evenings and two afternoons a week.