He Made His Peace With God

Charlie Dunn Family

L to R front row: Maggie Brashear Dunn (holding Roscoe), Mamie, Ruth,

Charlie(holding Homer)

L to R back row: Nancy Pearl Emily (my gg grandma) and Maudie Velma

son, Burgess was born later. Sons, C.H. and Chester died in infancy

Charles Henry Dunn was my great great grandfather. His parents were Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder and James Dunn. He has been a mystery and so has his father. Charlie was born in 1867 and he was only 3 years old when his mother married Adam Kinder. The whereabouts of his father remain unknown. I ordered Charlie's death certificate and found that his father was born in Texas. It is our only clue about Charlie's father.

Charlie Dunn's death certificate

Charlie Dunn has always had a bad reputation in my family. According to my grandma, her aunt Mamie (the 1st aunt Mamie, who was my grandma's great aunt but also the same age as her mother) always referred to him as "that no good Charlie Dunn". It could have been that he was blamed for Maggie's early death at age 34. (she died of pnemonia 2 weeks after the birth of her last child ). They were living in a logging camp in Arkansas and after Maggie's death he traded my great grandma to a man for a horse. That doesn't sit too well with your in-laws.

Anyway, I tried to find out more about Charlie's father so I sent a request for information to the Oklahoma Historical Society (excellent source of information). This is what I received:

Page 5 of The Waurika Oklahoma News-Democrat, Friday, April 6, 1923

Death of Charley Dunn

Charley Dunn died at his home near Bethel school house, southeast of Waurika, March 29, 1923, after a long and painful illness of tuberculosis. Mr. Dunn was a man of peace, a good neighbor and a loving husband and father. Before his death, he assured his children that he had made his peace with his God and that Jesus had saved his soul. He requested that all meet him in Heaven where he was going to meet his wife. He leaves seven children, three sons and four daughters, to mourn his loss. He was 56 years, 4 months and 13 days old at the time of his death.

He was laid to rest in the Ryan Cemetery Saturday afternoon, March 31, where funeral services were conducted by Rev. H.H. Bowles of Waurika. The children wish to thank their many friends and neighbors for their kindness to them during the sickness and at the time of the death of their father. Friends extend sympathy to the surviving relatives.

BY A FRIEND.

So, it appears that he didn't leave this world with a bad reputation, even if he had, he made his peace with God and that is all that matters.

Love,

Territory Mom