A beloved Texan was laid to rest Friday morning.
More than 100 people filled the auditorium at the LBJ Library on the UT campus Friday morning to celebrate the life of Liz Carpenter.
There was laughter and tears as family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of a woman they call a pioneer. The ceremony began with a song; the light singing silenced the auditorium while photos of the 89-year-old flashed on a screen.
It s just very, very touching to know that so many people felt a sense of connection with my mother that they felt that they wanted to turn out and be part of hearing more about her life and joining as I said a celebration of her life, said Christy Carpenter, daughter.
Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton presented video-taped messages during Friday's ceremony.
Carpenter was a woman who paved the way for many others behind her.
She was the first female administrative assistant to then Vice President Lyndon B Johnson. She remained close with Johnson and went on to serve as press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson.
Carpenter fell in love with a quote from author Oliver Wendall Holmes, Junior. He wrote, I want to have been part of the action and passion of my time. Carpenter led her life by those words.
She worked closely in the women's rights movement and served as chair to the Equal Rights Amendment.
Those who knew her say she had a way of making others feel at ease with a smile always on her face and joke on the tip of her tongue.
Carpenter leaves this world touching many -- an entire auditorium of people who grieve her loss, but it wasn't the impact she cared about in her life.
I'm not sure she thought about it. I just know she loved people and lived to the fullest, said Ervin Duggan, Carpenter s close friend. But she certainly had that impact.
Carpenter died on Saturday at an Austin area hospital after battling pneumonia. She was 89 years old.
She wanted to feel as though she d been all used up, said Christy Carpenter.
Carpenter's daughter says the family finds comfort in knowing that she did leave that way. Carpenter continued working until her late days.
She authored a book just four years ago. Among her many achievements what people who attended her service say they remember most is her loving personality and drive to achieve.
Following the public service Carpenter s family and close friends held a private ceremony in Salado. That's where Carpenter grew up and where she requested her ashes to be spread.
