Charles M. King

KING, CHARLES MERL Charles Merl King, age 76, passed away Saturday, June 14, 2003 at a local hospital. Services will be held at 9:30am Thursday, June 19 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel, 6101 Bosque Blvd. with Rev. Charles Conner and Rev. Steve Jackson, pastor of Chalk Bluff Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Moore Cemetery in Chalk Bluff. Visitation with the family will be from 5-7pm Wednesday, June 18 at the funeral home. Charles was born in Rochelle, Illinois, on February 20, 1927, to Burton King and Daisy May Lane. He moved to Houston in 1931 and then to Boerne in 1937 where he attended Boerne Elementary School. He then attended high school in Victoria, Texas, and later attended University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1948 and a Master of Arts in 1949. He began teaching at LaMarque High School before his graduation from the University of Houston. He earned his Masters of Religious Education from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1953. He married Catherine Tobias on March 20, 1954, and they resided in Bay City, Texas where he taught high school English. They moved to Waco in 1959, and he taught at Waco High School and Richfield High School. His first college teaching job was in Hillsboro, Texas, in 1965 and in 1966, he was hired as the first chairman of the English Department at McLennan Community College. He retired after 20 years of service. Charles was a member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church for many years where he taught Sunday School in the preschool department. He was currently a member of Chalk Bluff Baptist Church. He was also very active in many poultry clubs and won numerous awards. Many of his awards were featured in the national Poultry Press magazine. Charles loved his garden and was well known for his green thumb. He was always a wealth of information which he shared with everyone. He was also an amateur veterinarian and was always surrounded by animals. He also performed volunteer work with the Court-Appointed Special Advocate CASA and worked with numerous foster children. He also volunteered with the West Ambulance Service. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Cathy King; daughter, Tami Cox and husband, Joel; son, Kevin King and wife, Apryl; son, Mark King and wife, Brenda; grandchildren, Beau and Kyle Earley, Scott and Toby King and BreAnne and Bailey King; sister, Rosabel Coldiron and husband, Dewey; brothers, Jim Stogsdill and wife, Diane and Gilbert Stogsdill and wife, Connie; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Everette Rayburn, Johnny Sauls, Wallace Hand, Elmer Goldsmith, George Brinegar, and Walton Strickland. Honorary pallbearers are Billy Dowdy, Dale Hughes, Clyde C. Koehne, Travis Looper, Don McCauley, Don Tatum, Michael White, Juan A. Mercado-Almodovar, Jack Yarbrough, Chuck Kennedy, James Schwarz, and Dean Vest. Memorials may be made to Advocacy Center of Crime Victims and Children, CASA, 2323 Columbus Ave., Waco, TX 76701, Chalk Bluff Baptist Church Library Fund, 5993 Gholson Road, Waco, TX 76705, or West Ambulance Service, 411 Meadow Dr., West, TX 76691. The family invites you to leave a message or memory by signing the “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY