Charles Fredrick Ayers Jr.

CHARLES FREDRICK AYERS, JR. Charles Fredrick Ayers, Jr., age 91, passed away at his home outside Peabody, Kansas on May 7, 2025. Charles was born at Leo and Anna Ayers's farm on December 7, 1933, the oldest of five children born to Charles Fredrick Ayers, Sr. and E. Gladwyn Ayers. Charles was raised on his Great-grandfather McCord's homestead in rural Peabody. He started his education at the Walnut Grove School, the family then moved to Newton in 1948 and he graduated from Newton High School in 1951. Charles married Shirley Hayes on December 18, 1954, and together they had three children, Charles, Kevin, and Sheila. Shirley passed away in 2016 and Charles later met and married Patricia Davis, she survives him in the home. Charles was a hard worker; he retired from the Santa Fe Railroad after 42 years of working for them. He also farmed and ranched most of his life, and was operating farm equipment well into his eighties. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Sr. and E. Gladwyn Ayers; sisters, Nancy Christensen and Anna Rogene Besse; and son-in-law, Mike Nelson. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; children, Charles V. Ayers (Sandy), Kevin Ayers (Loretta), and Sheila Nelson; sisters, Ladonna Unruh, and Emma Ray Zimmerman; grandchildren, Robert Scott Ayers, Debbie Ives (John), Niesha Adams (Ben), Richard Ferran, Anna Pfanenstiel (Jesse), Corey Nelson (Jessica), Patrick Nelson (Brandy); step-children, Keith Davis, Joshua Davis, Gail Davis, Novie Davis, Charity Ellis, Steven Paul Davis, Eli Daniel Davis; step-grandchildren, Lyndon Rose, Bryan Rose, Delilah Shirley, Domenique Shirley, Josiah Bannon, Andre Taylor, and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 5-7 p.m. at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton, Kansas. Burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025, at Prairie Lawn Cemetery in Peabody, Kansas. The Funeral Service will follow at 11:00 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 801 N. Main, Newton, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer's Association, checks should be written to the memorial and may then be sent to the care of Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, KS 67114.