Charlie L. Wheeler

Charlie L. Wheeler CROSBYTON - Charlie L. Wheeler was the second son of Rex and Treacie Wheeler. He was born Oct. 24, 1933. He still vividly remembered the blizzard of February, 1940, probably because he lost his boot in a three-foot snow drift after the school bus slipped off the road into the ditch! The students had to walk to shelter at the nearby farms of T.W. Stockton, Sr. and Ewing Lawson, where they spent three days and nights before the roads could be traveled to return the kids to Crosbyton. The students then had to spend another 24 hours with D.A. Edwards before their parents could get to town to collect them! This story was carried by newspapers across the state. Charlie graduated from Crosbyton High School in 1950. He attended Texas Tech University prior to selecting agri-business as a profession. In 1952 he married Verna Anne Jackson. They have two sons, Brady and Reggie. Except for the time he was in college, Charlie has been a lifelong resident of Crosby County. Through the years, Charlie has made many contributions to the Crosbyton/Crosby County Community. Charlie served as chairman of the Program Building committee for continuing education opportunities. (1) He integrated the pest management program. (2) He served as 4-H Club adult leader and was elected President; he received the prestigious Silver Spur Award for distinguished service in 1974. (3) He served as director of Crosby County Livestock Show for 24 years. He worked as General Superintendent from 1951-1975. During his tenure, the sale of club animals was organized. Charlie is a long-term supporter of Co-operatives. (1) He was elected to the Board of Directors of Crosbyton Coop Gin in 1962, where he served until 1973 when Crosbyton, Wake and McAdoo gins merged. During those 11 years, he served as regional representative on the Farmers Co-op Oil Mill Board, the Plains Co-op Compress Board and the Cotton Cooperative Association. (2) He is an original member of the American Cotton Growers and served as the task force planning and developing the merger between Crosbyton, McAdoo and Wake Cooperative Gins. He served as Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Associated Cotton Growers. This brings his total years of service to 32. Charlie was a member of the Crosby County Farm Bureau where he served as President. Charlie served two 2-year terms on the Crosbyton Chamber of Commerce. As Vice-President, he completed the President's term of office when the president, Jim Homan, moved to Arkansas. Charlie served on the Agrigultural Stabilization and Conservation County Committee. CROSBY COUNTY PIONEER MEMORIAL MUSEUM. Charlie was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum and served from 1970-1972. He continued his service during his wife's tenure of 30 years as executive director. Charlie was elected to the Board of Directors of the Crosbyton Rural Development Corporation in 1984 and became President in 1986. Charlie was elected President of Crosbyton Ex-Students Association in 1967. 300 ex-students attended the annual Homecoming dinner. A Saturday night football game with the Spur Bulldogs was the highlight of homecoming activities - and, by the way, Crosbyton won District that year! Charlie was a member and President of the Crosbyton Athletic Booster Club. RIO BLANCO HERITAGE FOUNDATION. Charlie was on the original task force involved in the development of an amphitheater and the outdoor prairie drama God's Country in 1985. In 1986, Charlie provided heavy equipment which was used in the construction of the Blanco Canyon Amphitheater. He contributed over 200 hours in 1986 and continued to contribute time and use of his personal equipment to shred the parking lot and maintain the remainder of the 12-acre amphitheater site annually. In addition to annual maintenance chores, Charlie also provided temporary lighting and other technical assistance during 6 weeks of rehearsals. He performed as the character Uncle Hank in eight productions of God's Country. He volunteered about 120 hours each summer (in addition to his regular job of farming, many acres north and south of Crosbyton): 1985-1998. On October 1, 1999, Charlie suffered a debilitating stroke. He recovered slowly, relearning many physical skills and especially regaining the most difficult of all, the ability to speak. In 2008 the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial board of directors named the newest addition of the CCPM Complex the Verna Anne and Charlie Wheeler Addition. The Wheeler Addition would soon house Wayne J Parker's highly acclaimed Native American Collection. Charlie passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at his residence at 601 South Grain St., Crosbyton, Texas with his family near. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 8, at the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Building in Crosbyton. Burial will follow in Crosbyton Cemetery under the direction of Adams Funeral Home of Crosbyton.