Charles Fraley Jr.

Charles Carter "Charlie" Fraley, Jr., 65, longtime businessman in and Fire Chief of Macon, died Saturday, April 12, 2008, at Noxubee General Hospital in Macon. Visitation will be today at his home from 5 until 9 pm. Funeral services will be Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at Independent Methodist Church in Macon with Bro. Glen Miller and Bro. Gary Shelton conducting the services. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon will be in charge of the services. The family requests: no flowers, please. Please make all memorials to the Macon Fire Department, Macon City Hall, Att:Pam Norris, P.O. Box 29 Macon, MS 39341
Charlie was a native of Macon and a graduate of Macon High School. He attended Ole Miss from 1961 until 1964 where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He had to leave the university to return to Macon to assist his father at Fraley's Big Star Food Store due to his father's ill health. He was a member of Independent Methodist Church, a charter member of Pineview Country Club and a member of the Frith Lake club. He was the 1991 King of the Macon Junior Auxilary Charity Ball. He was the former owner and operator of Fraley's Big Star Food Store and also Superior Cleaners in Macon and was a partner with his son in Anthony's Restaurant in West Point, Ms. As a busy merchant, Charlie's greatest love was the snow cone truck. He delighted in serving Macon's children on a hot summer day. His love of people was certainly evident in this event as well as his other business operations.
He followed in his father's footsteps of public service and had begun as a volunteer firefighter as a young teenager. His first love was the brotherhood of the Macon Fire Department. Because of his dedication to the department, he was appointed Fire Chief of the Macon Fire Department, a position he held for twenty-seven years until his death. During his tenure he was elected Fireman of the Year and was responsible for making Macon Fire Department one of the best equipped and highest-rated small town volunteer fire departments in the state. His loyalty and dedication to the fire department was reflected by the love and respect of all who served under him.
Charlie's love of the outdoor was evident as he was a Boy Scout as a youth. He was also an avid hunter, fisherman, dog lover, and enjoyer of long hikes in the woods.
He is survived by: his mother, Mrs. Dorothy Wilkins Fraley of Macon; his wife, Ellenor S. Fraley of Macon; one daughter, Shannon Fraley of Macon; and one son, Charles Carter Fraley, III, of West Point. He is also survived by: two sisters, Mrs. Abbie Fraley Franks of Macon, and Patty Fraley McAlexander of Senatobia. He is predeceased by his father, Charles Carter Fraley, Sr.