Served in the Navy for four years Charles Duane Jamison Sr., 80 of Vanzant, passed away July 25, 2007 at his home. He was born in Mason City, Ill., on April 22, 1927, the third child of Arthur Ray and Ollie (Yates) Jamison. He was born during the depression; times were hard and the family was poor, but the children did not realize it.
After completing the 8th grade, he left home to work for his uncle, Roy, in Granger, Iowa. While working in Iowa, he would meet his future wife, Fern Nash, in Madrid.
Charles returned home and joined the Navy on March 22, 1945, serving four years, six months and two days. All four years were served out of Honolulu; two years were spent on the ships, LST 1078 and PCE900, two years on shore as a Signalman on a tower at Pearl Harbor. Charles and Fern were united in marriage after his first two years of duty, to this union six children were born, Everett Wayne, Charles Jr, Leroy, Ray, Linda and Martha. He received his honorable discharge on Sept. 23, 1949 and returned to Iowa where he worked for his father-in-law for a year, and then his Uncle Roy, helped him start farming for himself.
The next several years were spent on farms in Iowa, then the family moved to Thida, Ark., in 1963. In 1964 they moved to Judsonia, Ark., where Charles operated an ESSO Station. Charles began working as an oiler and then crane operator on the Arkansas River locks and dams. The family moved to Kempton, Ind., in 1969 and he worked as a crane operator on highway and interstate bridge construction. Shortly after moving near Little Rock, Ark., he started his own landscaping and building site preparation business. In 1983, Charles became semi-retired and moved near Vanzant. At this time the only child still at home was Ray.
At age 66, he was tired of being retired and went back to work as a crane operator for a company that constructed large railroad bridges. During this time he worked in Kansas near Grand Island, then Dover and Wilmington, Del., on sewer projects. He would also spend time working in seven states for a railroad bridge company. This continued until 2001, at the age of 73 he retired due to his health, but continued to work on his farm until his passing.
Charles was an avid bluegrass music fan and played the banjo until he had a stroke in 2002, but by creating a way to hold a pick he was able to continue playing the guitar. He loved his family and appreciated his friends. He believed Jesus Christ was the son of God and his Lord and savior.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Louise Vaughn, Ernest (Ernie) Jamison and Noel June Jamison.
He is survived by his wife, Fern, of the home; his sons, Everett (Wayne) of Denison, Texas, Charles Jr. (Chuck) of Little Rock, Ark., Leroy (Roy) of Hensley, Ark. and Ray of Vanzant; his daughters, Linda Rorem of Pacifica, Calif., and Martha (Marty) Stewart of Drexel; sisters, Vera Hanoka of Decatur, Ill., and Eva White of Ava; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Services were at 10 a.m, Monday, July 30, at the funeral chapel. Burial with full military honors was in the Pleasant Mound Cemetery near Vanzant, under the direction of Elliott-Gentry-Carder Funeral Home of Cabool.
