was born to Otto and Elizabeth Darbritz and the step-daughter of Hubert Straw.

Carmen Helena Darbritz Straw Lint, 89, of Conover and Asheboro, North Carolina, died on Oct. 7, 2014 at High Point Regional Hospital.

The daughter of two musicians, Lint was born in Ray, Indiana on Jan. 8, 1925. She grew up playing the piano by ear and studied violin. Too tall for the theater, Lint received a speech degree at Michigan State University. There, she played the piano for modern and tap dance classes, accompanied actress/singer Betty White one summer while they lived at the YWCA in Lansing, Mi. and played in a number of venues. She composed the music for "Blue is My Heart," with lyrics by Bill Diamond. The song was copyrighted in 1948.

She married Elmer Lint on March 17, 1948. They moved to Detroit, Mi., where she sold sheet music at the world's largest dime store at the time. In 1951, they moved to Asheville. She sang in the church choir and hosted a radio program. Later, they moved to Gastonia, where she studied millinery and hosted a radio program. In Charlotte, she was a commercial illustrator for Ivey's Department Store and then was asked to join WIST-AM to produce and host a new program, "The 5 O'Clock Shadow." During that time, she worked with newspaper writer Charles Kuralt and with radio announcer Ty Boyd. Her program was so popular that it was copied by a radio station in New York City.

She was the pianist for the The Cooters Travis Orchestra which performed in Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Blowing Rock and Boone. Simultaneously, she was the organist for Resurrection Lutheran Church, in Charlotte.

In 1961, the Lints moved to Conover. There, she designed many of her own clothes and those for her daughter, made hats, gave voice lessons and coached a beauty pageant contestant. She was very active in her daughter's schooling, often volunteering at Conover Grade School. She brought humor, science, art, history, geology, public speaking, music and political studies to the classroom.

A regular participant in flower shows, she won several blue ribbons for her creative arrangements. She built miniature gardens in glass containers which were sold at area gift shops. She helped decorate Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at Christmas, form the hand bell choir, and crafted and created a puppet educational program for the church.

She received her teaching certificate from Lenoir-Rhyne College and taught English at Newton-Conover High School. Later, she taught kindergarten at Love 'n Care Child Development Center in Newton. In 1977, she stepped in worked with her husband's insurance business with Mutual of New York.

Lint started painting when she turned 60 and was later commissioned for portraits. She was a member of the Piedmont Painters art group in Hickory.

For 20 years, she played the piano monthly at the Senior Adult Center in Conover. She spent countless hours creating fun crafts and making tools and supplies for the seniors to use.

She had a very strong belief in God, loved children, nature, gardening, traveling, entertaining and a good political joke.

Lint is preceded in death by Elizabeth Thorvald Darbritz Straw, mother; Arno Darbritz, father; Hubert Straw, step-father; and Anita Jarrad, sister. She is survived by her husband, Elmer Lint, of Conover; daughter, Greta Anita Lint, of Asheboro, 7 nephews, 4 nieces and their families.

Carmen is buried in Ray Cemetery
Fremont, Steuben County, Indiana, USA