When I saw the invitation to share with others about Charles, I thought, what can I say? “He was a good man; he was a loving husband, father, brother.” Sure these are true, but there is much more that needs to be said and as I thought about the life of Charles and his late wife, Ruth (for you can’t separate the two, they were a team), I remember them always dedicated to doing the right thing and serving their God. They cared for family members when necessary, not just going to help on occasion, but they brought them into their home. Sometimes just having someone in your home for a day or a few hours can be exhausting. I can only imagine what it must have been like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but they fulfilled a command. A lot was asked of this couple throughout their lives; the unexpected, early death of their two oldest children and two grandchildren. I never heard them complain or give up on the God they served. Through it all, though they may have said, “God, I don’t understand!” they never denied God. Charles, if he were sitting here today, would be the first to say he didn’t understand why God took Ruth before him. I used to tell him, “God’s not finished with you yet” and he would make some comment to the effect he didn’t know what it was he needed to do and I would tell him maybe God left you here for the rest of us. I now see how true this might have been. After the death of Ruth, I would call Charles on occasion to see how he was doing. Charles was twelve years older than myself, and our Dad died when I was nine, so he knew things about Dad that I didn’t know. He would share some memories and answer some of my questions; questions I should have asked long before, but like most of us we let real life slip by us while we are “living life”. Charles, I wish I had said this to your face, I am proud to say you are my brother and I know each of the other siblings would say the same. I can’t remember anyone making a negative comment about you or Ruth. I wish I had known you better, and I will see you both again in the Kingdom of our Lord. Your youngest sister,

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.