Memories of My Cousin Charles

As children we four cousins felt we had two mothers and two extra siblings. My mother, Naomi with her girl and boy, and her only sister, Kathryn with her two boys, raised their two families together. Although not in the same household, the sisters did all of their work together so the children were together almost constantly.

Kathryn's older son was three years my junior and we were continually finding mischief to get into. His only brother, Charles, was nearly three months younger than my brother, Wallace who is eight years younger than I. The difference in our ages made the four of us like two sets of cousins the older son and I and the younger son and my brother.

Since Wallace and Charles were so close in age, their mothers' chose many clothes for them that were alike. Family photos show them in their identical cowboy outfits - with pistols drawn - and little sailor suits at about the age of 3. Sometimes people would ask if they were twins, in spite of the difference in the coloring of their hair and eyes. (Charles had dark hair Wallace was blonde; Charles had brown eyes Wallace's eyes were blue.)

Charles was a happy, even tempered, smiling, adventurous boy. The family often observed that when the two boys, Charles and Wallace, were together, what one didn't think of the other one did. A couple of examples illustrate some of that adventurousness. When the boys were 5 or 6 they decided to take some baby chicks to town to sell as they had seen their parents do. They went into the brooder house, quickly gathered up 100 or so little chicks and put them in gunny sacks. Most of them smothered before Charles's mother discovered what the two were doing.

Another time the two wanted to play rodeo. They roped a small calf and the calf took off running with the boys trying their best to hold to it. Wallace quickly let go of the rope, but Charles sat down on the rope hoping the calf would stop. It didn't. Instead it dragged Charles through a muddy hog wallow. I don't believe they tried that one again.

Charles loved music. He played the guitar, sang and when about 12 or 13 took piano lessons from me. The piano didn't appeal to him like the guitar so those lessons didn't last long. As a teenager he was one of a quartet of boys in the church we attended. They sang many specials in not only the local church but in other churches as well. Charles and Wallace also sang duets. In fact, one time when the Ben Bolt movie theater in Chillicothe had amateur hours the two entered and won first place.

During those growing up years, Charles was an active member of the CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship). One of the CYF outings he especially enjoyed was the roller skating parties. Another activity the cousins and their friends liked to engage in was corn cob fights on a Sunday afternoon.

In high school Charles was a tackle on the Trenton High School football squad. He was also a member of the mixed chorus and glee club. In 1957 he graduated from Trenton High School signaling an end of childhood.

Soon after high school, Charles married a classmate. After a couple of years on the farm they moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he enlisted in the Air Force to serve the next twenty years. This caused our lives to go their separate ways with each of us living is different states and only seeing each other on special occasions.

In 2005 Charles died after a hard fought struggle with cancer. He still remains in my memory as a cousin who seemed like a brother.

Learn more about this author, Annalou Mack.
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