Charles Ray Jurden, Sr. was born on October 30,1940 to Charlie Jurden and Rosa Lee Furrh, and lived most of his life in the Bright Star Community of Wills Point. He graduated from Wills Point High School in 1958 and attended Tyler Junior College and East Texas State University where he graduated in 1962 with a degree in education and coaching.
After college, Charles taught school and coached for the next 30 years in many places in and around East Texas, including Dallas, Terrell, Rains, Wills Point, Grand Saline, and Kemp.
During his coaching career, Charles coached both junior high and high school sports, including basketball, track, weightlifting, and baseball.
Charles was himself an avid athlete. He discovered weightlifting and bodybuilding in his teens and early 20's and participated in many bodybuilding contests and earned many titles in the 60's and early 70's. He holds the distinction of having won the very first Mr. Olympian bodybuilding title in 1962.
He continued to lift weights regularly throughout the rest of his life, participating in numerous Olympic lifting contests throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and other states, well into the 1970's and 80's—earning many state and even national Olympic lifting championship titles for his weight class. Through his love of weightlifting, he made many lifelong friends whom he spoke to regularly, even up to his last days.
He also introduced many of his players and athletes to the sport of Olympic weightlifting and the joy of physical fitness through weight training—many of those players are now themselves dedicated weightlifters today because of his influence.
Charles also excelled at other sports besides weightlifting. In the 1960's he became one of the top ranked amateur boxers in Texas, with 75 fights and 3 loses. Several of his opponents went on to professional boxing careers. He also played minor league football in what would later become the World Football League. During the 1980's, he ran Master's track, participating in the Pan Am Games in Los Gatos California in 1981 at the age of 40, where he took home a gold and two bronze medals.
Along with him many other interests he was also a classic car enthusiast. He owned, bought, and sold many cars over the years that would today qualify as pure classic Americana muscle car. Some of them were in great condition, others not so great—but he always had dreams and plans for fixing them up. His most well-known classic car was his 1969 Corvette Convertible, which he purchased in 1984 and still owned up until the day of his death.
A little known fact is that Charles was also an accomplished piano player and saxophone player. He played saxophone in college band, and would often sit at the piano and play hymns out of an old gospel hymnal—a sublime manifestation of his faith in God.
In 1970, Charles married his wife of nearly 40 years, Jane Phillips. Together, they moved to the Bright Star Community of Wills Point in 1971 near his mother, where they resided for the rest of his life—except for a few years near the end of his career where he taught in far-away Texas towns. Even then, though, Charles' heart was always set on his home in Wills Point, which they continued to own and maintain, knowing they would soon return. Charles retired from teaching and coaching in 1992, at which point they moved back for good.
He is survived by his wife Jane, his three sons, Jerry, Charles, and Chris, his daughter Natalie, and 8 grandchildren. Charles loved his wife and family. He loved his children and grandchildren.
His son Jerry Wayne Jurden and his wife Trona have three children, Ellie, Lizzy and Molly. Son Charles Ray Jurden Jr. and his wife Jennifer have a daughter Lexi and son Zachery Charles, who is due in October. Son Christopher Lee has a son named Tyler. Daughter Natalie Jurden Morales and her husband Nick have two children—Natalya and Nicolas Ray. He also loved his extended family and friends. He enjoyed picking up the phone and calling his sisters, cousins, friends, and of course, his weightlifting buddies just to shoot the breeze.
If you were Charles Ray's friend, you were his friend for life. He was sometimes a little rough around the edges, but always had a soft gentle heart. Charles will be greatly missed by his family and friends and students.
A memorial service was held at the St. Luke Catholic Church in Wills Point on September 2, 2009.
After college, Charles taught school and coached for the next 30 years in many places in and around East Texas, including Dallas, Terrell, Rains, Wills Point, Grand Saline, and Kemp.
During his coaching career, Charles coached both junior high and high school sports, including basketball, track, weightlifting, and baseball.
Charles was himself an avid athlete. He discovered weightlifting and bodybuilding in his teens and early 20's and participated in many bodybuilding contests and earned many titles in the 60's and early 70's. He holds the distinction of having won the very first Mr. Olympian bodybuilding title in 1962.
He continued to lift weights regularly throughout the rest of his life, participating in numerous Olympic lifting contests throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and other states, well into the 1970's and 80's—earning many state and even national Olympic lifting championship titles for his weight class. Through his love of weightlifting, he made many lifelong friends whom he spoke to regularly, even up to his last days.
He also introduced many of his players and athletes to the sport of Olympic weightlifting and the joy of physical fitness through weight training—many of those players are now themselves dedicated weightlifters today because of his influence.
Charles also excelled at other sports besides weightlifting. In the 1960's he became one of the top ranked amateur boxers in Texas, with 75 fights and 3 loses. Several of his opponents went on to professional boxing careers. He also played minor league football in what would later become the World Football League. During the 1980's, he ran Master's track, participating in the Pan Am Games in Los Gatos California in 1981 at the age of 40, where he took home a gold and two bronze medals.
Along with him many other interests he was also a classic car enthusiast. He owned, bought, and sold many cars over the years that would today qualify as pure classic Americana muscle car. Some of them were in great condition, others not so great—but he always had dreams and plans for fixing them up. His most well-known classic car was his 1969 Corvette Convertible, which he purchased in 1984 and still owned up until the day of his death.
A little known fact is that Charles was also an accomplished piano player and saxophone player. He played saxophone in college band, and would often sit at the piano and play hymns out of an old gospel hymnal—a sublime manifestation of his faith in God.
In 1970, Charles married his wife of nearly 40 years, Jane Phillips. Together, they moved to the Bright Star Community of Wills Point in 1971 near his mother, where they resided for the rest of his life—except for a few years near the end of his career where he taught in far-away Texas towns. Even then, though, Charles' heart was always set on his home in Wills Point, which they continued to own and maintain, knowing they would soon return. Charles retired from teaching and coaching in 1992, at which point they moved back for good.
He is survived by his wife Jane, his three sons, Jerry, Charles, and Chris, his daughter Natalie, and 8 grandchildren. Charles loved his wife and family. He loved his children and grandchildren.
His son Jerry Wayne Jurden and his wife Trona have three children, Ellie, Lizzy and Molly. Son Charles Ray Jurden Jr. and his wife Jennifer have a daughter Lexi and son Zachery Charles, who is due in October. Son Christopher Lee has a son named Tyler. Daughter Natalie Jurden Morales and her husband Nick have two children—Natalya and Nicolas Ray. He also loved his extended family and friends. He enjoyed picking up the phone and calling his sisters, cousins, friends, and of course, his weightlifting buddies just to shoot the breeze.
If you were Charles Ray's friend, you were his friend for life. He was sometimes a little rough around the edges, but always had a soft gentle heart. Charles will be greatly missed by his family and friends and students.
A memorial service was held at the St. Luke Catholic Church in Wills Point on September 2, 2009.
Charles Ray Jurden, Sr. was born on October 30,1940 to Charlie Jurden and Rosa Lee Furrh, and lived most of his life in the Bright Star Community of Wills Point. He graduated from Wills Point High School in 1958 and attended Tyler Junior College and East Texas State University where he graduated in 1962 with a degree in education and coaching.
After college, Charles taught school and coached for the next 30 years in many places in and around East Texas, including Dallas, Terrell, Rains, Wills Point, Grand Saline, and Kemp.
During his coaching career, Charles coached both junior high and high school sports, including basketball, track, weightlifting, and baseball.
Charles was himself an avid athlete. He discovered weightlifting and bodybuilding in his teens and early 20's and participated in many bodybuilding contests and earned many titles in the 60's and early 70's. He holds the distinction of having won the very first Mr. Olympian bodybuilding title in 1962.
He continued to lift weights regularly throughout the rest of his life, participating in numerous Olympic lifting contests throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and other states, well into the 1970's and 80's—earning many state and even national Olympic lifting championship titles for his weight class. Through his love of weightlifting, he made many lifelong friends whom he spoke to regularly, even up to his last days.
He also introduced many of his players and athletes to the sport of Olympic weightlifting and the joy of physical fitness through weight training—many of those players are now themselves dedicated weightlifters today because of his influence.
Charles also excelled at other sports besides weightlifting. In the 1960's he became one of the top ranked amateur boxers in Texas, with 75 fights and 3 loses. Several of his opponents went on to professional boxing careers. He also played minor league football in what would later become the World Football League. During the 1980's, he ran Master's track, participating in the Pan Am Games in Los Gatos California in 1981 at the age of 40, where he took home a gold and two bronze medals.
Along with him many other interests he was also a classic car enthusiast. He owned, bought, and sold many cars over the years that would today qualify as pure classic Americana muscle car. Some of them were in great condition, others not so great—but he always had dreams and plans for fixing them up. His most well-known classic car was his 1969 Corvette Convertible, which he purchased in 1984 and still owned up until the day of his death.
A little known fact is that Charles was also an accomplished piano player and saxophone player. He played saxophone in college band, and would often sit at the piano and play hymns out of an old gospel hymnal—a sublime manifestation of his faith in God.
In 1970, Charles married his wife of nearly 40 years, Jane Phillips. Together, they moved to the Bright Star Community of Wills Point in 1971 near his mother, where they resided for the rest of his life—except for a few years near the end of his career where he taught in far-away Texas towns. Even then, though, Charles' heart was always set on his home in Wills Point, which they continued to own and maintain, knowing they would soon return. Charles retired from teaching and coaching in 1992, at which point they moved back for good.
He is survived by his wife Jane, his three sons, Jerry, Charles, and Chris, his daughter Natalie, and 8 grandchildren. Charles loved his wife and family. He loved his children and grandchildren.
His son Jerry Wayne Jurden and his wife Trona have three children, Ellie, Lizzy and Molly. Son Charles Ray Jurden Jr. and his wife Jennifer have a daughter Lexi and son Zachery Charles, who is due in October. Son Christopher Lee has a son named Tyler. Daughter Natalie Jurden Morales and her husband Nick have two children—Natalya and Nicolas Ray. He also loved his extended family and friends. He enjoyed picking up the phone and calling his sisters, cousins, friends, and of course, his weightlifting buddies just to shoot the breeze.
If you were Charles Ray's friend, you were his friend for life. He was sometimes a little rough around the edges, but always had a soft gentle heart. Charles will be greatly missed by his family and friends and students.
A memorial service was held at the St. Luke Catholic Church in Wills Point on September 2, 2009.
After college, Charles taught school and coached for the next 30 years in many places in and around East Texas, including Dallas, Terrell, Rains, Wills Point, Grand Saline, and Kemp.
During his coaching career, Charles coached both junior high and high school sports, including basketball, track, weightlifting, and baseball.
Charles was himself an avid athlete. He discovered weightlifting and bodybuilding in his teens and early 20's and participated in many bodybuilding contests and earned many titles in the 60's and early 70's. He holds the distinction of having won the very first Mr. Olympian bodybuilding title in 1962.
He continued to lift weights regularly throughout the rest of his life, participating in numerous Olympic lifting contests throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and other states, well into the 1970's and 80's—earning many state and even national Olympic lifting championship titles for his weight class. Through his love of weightlifting, he made many lifelong friends whom he spoke to regularly, even up to his last days.
He also introduced many of his players and athletes to the sport of Olympic weightlifting and the joy of physical fitness through weight training—many of those players are now themselves dedicated weightlifters today because of his influence.
Charles also excelled at other sports besides weightlifting. In the 1960's he became one of the top ranked amateur boxers in Texas, with 75 fights and 3 loses. Several of his opponents went on to professional boxing careers. He also played minor league football in what would later become the World Football League. During the 1980's, he ran Master's track, participating in the Pan Am Games in Los Gatos California in 1981 at the age of 40, where he took home a gold and two bronze medals.
Along with him many other interests he was also a classic car enthusiast. He owned, bought, and sold many cars over the years that would today qualify as pure classic Americana muscle car. Some of them were in great condition, others not so great—but he always had dreams and plans for fixing them up. His most well-known classic car was his 1969 Corvette Convertible, which he purchased in 1984 and still owned up until the day of his death.
A little known fact is that Charles was also an accomplished piano player and saxophone player. He played saxophone in college band, and would often sit at the piano and play hymns out of an old gospel hymnal—a sublime manifestation of his faith in God.
In 1970, Charles married his wife of nearly 40 years, Jane Phillips. Together, they moved to the Bright Star Community of Wills Point in 1971 near his mother, where they resided for the rest of his life—except for a few years near the end of his career where he taught in far-away Texas towns. Even then, though, Charles' heart was always set on his home in Wills Point, which they continued to own and maintain, knowing they would soon return. Charles retired from teaching and coaching in 1992, at which point they moved back for good.
He is survived by his wife Jane, his three sons, Jerry, Charles, and Chris, his daughter Natalie, and 8 grandchildren. Charles loved his wife and family. He loved his children and grandchildren.
His son Jerry Wayne Jurden and his wife Trona have three children, Ellie, Lizzy and Molly. Son Charles Ray Jurden Jr. and his wife Jennifer have a daughter Lexi and son Zachery Charles, who is due in October. Son Christopher Lee has a son named Tyler. Daughter Natalie Jurden Morales and her husband Nick have two children—Natalya and Nicolas Ray. He also loved his extended family and friends. He enjoyed picking up the phone and calling his sisters, cousins, friends, and of course, his weightlifting buddies just to shoot the breeze.
If you were Charles Ray's friend, you were his friend for life. He was sometimes a little rough around the edges, but always had a soft gentle heart. Charles will be greatly missed by his family and friends and students.
A memorial service was held at the St. Luke Catholic Church in Wills Point on September 2, 2009.
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