CHARLIE M. MOON

 The following bio was taken from page 310 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

 Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Charlie M. Moon, the oldest child of Jessie Marion Moon and Queenie Rosetta Golden Moon, was born in Buena Vista, Georgia, December 28, 1894.  He came to Texas at the age of two, riding a train to Galveston.  His father came to work in the cotton mills.  They lived there about three years and left the year before the big flood at Galveston in 1900.  Some of their relatives and friends were lost in the flood.

 From Galveston they came to Rusk County and settled on the Bill Acrey place.  Charlie married Lula Mae Parker, the oldest child of Lewis Franklin Parker.  The Parkers were Rusk County natives but had moved to Bigfoot, Texas, near Devine.  Charlie rode the train to Devine where Lulu and her brother Dawson met him, and they traveled by horse and buggy to Pearsall and bought the marriage license.  They were married at Bigfoot, December 24, 1916.  The day after Christmas they rode the train back to Henderson and caught the “Pine Knot Special” to Pine Hill, where they were met by relatives.  He said the “Pine Knot Special” actually burned pine knots to generate steam, and you had to be careful to keep from getting black soot all over you.

 Charlie and Lula bought the old Barlow Farm in 1918.  It had a two-room house and eighty-four acres.  They later added to the house as they added to their family.  The days were filled with farming the land, hoeing and picking cotton along with caring for the farm animals.  The family looked forward to going to church on Sundays and attending the annual Fourth of July Picnic at Shiloh, with singing and having dinner on the grounds.

 The Moons had seven children, three girls and four boys.  Doris married Albert Griffith, and they had three children: Carolyn, Ferris Wayne, and Barbara.  Joyce married Weldon George, and they had two daughters, Susan, and Brenda.  Ethel Dena married Don Edwards, and they had four children: Linda, Donna, Mike, and Donald.  J.L. married Joyce Callahan, and they had three children: Pat, Jimmy, and Larry.  Charlie Marion married Dot Gerke, and they had one son, Ronnie.  Russell married Bonnie Hardin, and they had one daughter, Wanda Jean.  Alton married Pat Kawask, and they had two children, David and Lisa. 

Charlie and Lula continued to live on the same farm until around 1945.  They sold and bought land on Highway 315, near what was known then as Skidmore Crossing, and built a new home.  Here they continued farming and raising livestock.  Charlie also drove the local school bus.  His devilish sense of humor and his ability to tell “tall tales” endeared him to all.  Around 1950 Lula and Charlie opened their own filling station, which also had a few groceries, and, to the grandchildren’s delight, candy.  In the late 50’s, they ran a dairy barn, milking twice daily in addition to running their farm.  Their home was always open to all.  They were always ready to set another plate for anyone who would stay and usually apologized for not having more food.

 The Moons celebrated their Golden Anniversary, December 24, 1966.  They had been married sixty-three years when Lula passed away , March 28, 1980.  She is buried in the Shiloh Cemetery.  Charlie still lives in the house that they built in 1945.

 Submitted by Joyce George