Charles attended school through the eighth grade. His daughter said he got bored and attended the eighth grade for three years. Note that the school in the nearby settlement of Patterson, Kansas only went to the eighth grade.
In 1909, Charles, his sister Hallie and their parents moved from their farm to the town of Burrton, Kansas located 1 mile west and 5 miles north. (Per the Burrton newspaper.) It may be that Charles' parents moved to town to retire (Armstead was about 64 yrs. old) and possibly make use of the conveniences of living in a town. Their rent in Burrton was very low and it appears that they never purchased a house there (in Burrton) though Charles' father continued to own their farm near Patterson and one in Ford County, Kansas. It is not known who worked their farm near Patterson when they moved to Burrton.
Charles wrote that he worked on farms until he was about 20 years old and then attended a telegraph school.
In 1913, Charles went to work as a telegraph operator and station agent. He would eventually work for the Union Pacific Railroad and the Frisco Railroad for 46 years.
Charles enlisted for duty in World War 1, serving 18 months in the Army. During this time he was stricken with appendicitis and became very ill, but made a full recovery. Also while in the service Charles contracted measles, which caused significant and permanent damage to his hearing. His hearing loss was the reason he was not shipped out for overseas duty. He instead served his duty at Camp Funston, a World War 1 mobilization camp located on the Fort Riley Military Base in Kansas. Though not an officer, one of his duties was to train a squad of black recruits for duty overseas. He told his daughter he thought it was funny the recruits called him Mr. Charlie. Charles wrote that he went to Ekron, Kentucky and saw his Uncle Billy Barnes (William Walker Barnes, 1851-1932) after Charles got out of the Army at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in 1918.
Charles Barnes was first married to Ruth Edwards on May 2, 1920 in Burrton, Harvey County, Kansas. Ruth died at the age of just 28 years old following an operation to remove a cyst. Ruth is buried next to her father, William D. Edwards (1847-1925), in Burrton Cemetery, Harvey County, Kansas.
Charles and Ruth had two daughters:
1. Lola La Vada Barnes, married Francis E. Hollyfield.
2. Inez G. Barnes, married Wayne Hoobler, married (2) Raymond Latham. Inez died in 1994.
Charles Barnes was next married to Ethel P. Chaney in 1925. Ethel suffered from high blood pressure and died at the age of 54 on July 3, 1943. Ethel is buried with her parents in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Labette County, Kansas.
Charles next married Rachel A. Carter. Rachel was a schoolteacher for many years, teaching English and Speech. In 1957, Charles and Rachel had a new house built at 613 Kansas Street in Oswego, Kansas.
Charles retired from the railroad in 1960.
Charles was very interested in his family history. This is proven by his letters to, and from, several family members. These letters were supplied by his great niece, Thelma (Hickok) Queen of Wichita, Kansas. The family members Charles was in contact with include; Eleanor Templin of Tullahoma, Tennessee, who was a daughter of Armistead E. Barnes and Annie Evelyn Taber, and granddaughter of William Walker Barnes (1851-1932) of Meade County, Kentucky; Eva May (Wimp) Caffrey of Sedgwick, Kansas, who was the youngest child of James A. Wimp and Jemima (Barnes) Wimp; Mollie (Barnes) Gauld (1875-1968) of Trimble, Missouri, daughter of Elijah H. Barnes and Sophia (Hayden) Barnes; Neva Clevenger of Bloom, Kansas, daughter of William B. Barnes and Eva B. (Dowell) Barnes; and Lester Forrest Wimp of Kansas and Missouri, the youngest son of John Henry Wimp and Elizabeth Catherine (Dillingham) Wimp. Charles was corresponding with Frances (Shacklett) Fast (Mrs. Byron M. Fast, 1891-1968) of Meade County, Kentucky to research different parts of his family. Charles wrote that he and his wife Rachel were guests at Frances and Byron's home in September 1967.
Here's something I find to be amazing and shows how very young our country is. Charles' father, A. L. Barnes, was 48 years old when Charles and his sister Hallie were born in 1892. When Charles' mother, Inez, was born in 1850 her father, Josiah Dickerson, was 52 years of age. So, when Charles Barnes' grandfather, Josiah Dickerson, was born in (Jan.) 1797, George Washington was not only still alive, he still had about 2 months to serve as President.
Charles and his third wife Rachel are buried next to each other.
Charles attended school through the eighth grade. His daughter said he got bored and attended the eighth grade for three years. Note that the school in the nearby settlement of Patterson, Kansas only went to the eighth grade.
In 1909, Charles, his sister Hallie and their parents moved from their farm to the town of Burrton, Kansas located 1 mile west and 5 miles north. (Per the Burrton newspaper.) It may be that Charles' parents moved to town to retire (Armstead was about 64 yrs. old) and possibly make use of the conveniences of living in a town. Their rent in Burrton was very low and it appears that they never purchased a house there (in Burrton) though Charles' father continued to own their farm near Patterson and one in Ford County, Kansas. It is not known who worked their farm near Patterson when they moved to Burrton.
Charles wrote that he worked on farms until he was about 20 years old and then attended a telegraph school.
In 1913, Charles went to work as a telegraph operator and station agent. He would eventually work for the Union Pacific Railroad and the Frisco Railroad for 46 years.
Charles enlisted for duty in World War 1, serving 18 months in the Army. During this time he was stricken with appendicitis and became very ill, but made a full recovery. Also while in the service Charles contracted measles, which caused significant and permanent damage to his hearing. His hearing loss was the reason he was not shipped out for overseas duty. He instead served his duty at Camp Funston, a World War 1 mobilization camp located on the Fort Riley Military Base in Kansas. Though not an officer, one of his duties was to train a squad of black recruits for duty overseas. He told his daughter he thought it was funny the recruits called him Mr. Charlie. Charles wrote that he went to Ekron, Kentucky and saw his Uncle Billy Barnes (William Walker Barnes, 1851-1932) after Charles got out of the Army at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in 1918.
Charles Barnes was first married to Ruth Edwards on May 2, 1920 in Burrton, Harvey County, Kansas. Ruth died at the age of just 28 years old following an operation to remove a cyst. Ruth is buried next to her father, William D. Edwards (1847-1925), in Burrton Cemetery, Harvey County, Kansas.
Charles and Ruth had two daughters:
1. Lola La Vada Barnes, married Francis E. Hollyfield.
2. Inez G. Barnes, married Wayne Hoobler, married (2) Raymond Latham. Inez died in 1994.
Charles Barnes was next married to Ethel P. Chaney in 1925. Ethel suffered from high blood pressure and died at the age of 54 on July 3, 1943. Ethel is buried with her parents in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Labette County, Kansas.
Charles next married Rachel A. Carter. Rachel was a schoolteacher for many years, teaching English and Speech. In 1957, Charles and Rachel had a new house built at 613 Kansas Street in Oswego, Kansas.
Charles retired from the railroad in 1960.
Charles was very interested in his family history. This is proven by his letters to, and from, several family members. These letters were supplied by his great niece, Thelma (Hickok) Queen of Wichita, Kansas. The family members Charles was in contact with include; Eleanor Templin of Tullahoma, Tennessee, who was a daughter of Armistead E. Barnes and Annie Evelyn Taber, and granddaughter of William Walker Barnes (1851-1932) of Meade County, Kentucky; Eva May (Wimp) Caffrey of Sedgwick, Kansas, who was the youngest child of James A. Wimp and Jemima (Barnes) Wimp; Mollie (Barnes) Gauld (1875-1968) of Trimble, Missouri, daughter of Elijah H. Barnes and Sophia (Hayden) Barnes; Neva Clevenger of Bloom, Kansas, daughter of William B. Barnes and Eva B. (Dowell) Barnes; and Lester Forrest Wimp of Kansas and Missouri, the youngest son of John Henry Wimp and Elizabeth Catherine (Dillingham) Wimp. Charles was corresponding with Frances (Shacklett) Fast (Mrs. Byron M. Fast, 1891-1968) of Meade County, Kentucky to research different parts of his family. Charles wrote that he and his wife Rachel were guests at Frances and Byron's home in September 1967.
Here's something I find to be amazing and shows how very young our country is. Charles' father, A. L. Barnes, was 48 years old when Charles and his sister Hallie were born in 1892. When Charles' mother, Inez, was born in 1850 her father, Josiah Dickerson, was 52 years of age. So, when Charles Barnes' grandfather, Josiah Dickerson, was born in (Jan.) 1797, George Washington was not only still alive, he still had about 2 months to serve as President.
Charles and his third wife Rachel are buried next to each other.
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