CHARLES J. WATSON

The following bio was taken from page 432 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

Charles J. Watson and I, Frances L. Carroll, were married in Henderson, Texas, March 1, 1943. We met in Port Arthur, Texas where I was working at the time. I was born and reared in Minden, Rusk County, Texas, so naturally we came back here. Charles "fell" for East Texas, and after the War ended, we returned to Texas. Charles was A Navy submarine sailor, and we traveled all over the States. He was in the Navy one year after the War.

We returned to Texas in 1946 with our daughter, Lynn. Times were hard, and we left to go to South America the next year. We lived in Tia Juana, Venezuela and in Columbia, South America for ten years. Two more daughters were born to us, Cheryl Kay Watson and Melissa Crystelle Watson. They were born in Zainesville, Ohio, Charles’ hometown.

While living in South America, we took many trips back to the States and Rusk County. In 1956 we purchased a home in Henderson, and my mother, Mrs. Susie Carroll Ribb, moved in with us. The girls and I stayed home several years while Charles worked in various parts of the world.

IN 1963, Michael Keith Watson was born, and in 1966 we traveled to Europe and Africa to join Charles, who was working for the Williams International Group, building oil installations all over the world.

Cheryl and Melissa attended school in Alexandria, Egypt, and in Utrecht, Holland, and in Lugano, Switzerland. We were caught in the June 5^th War in Egypt and barely got out after the girls graduated in Alexandria.

Lynn married and is living in Dallas, where our granddaughter, Cindy Jordon, now lives. Cheryl and Melissa attended North Texas State University, where Melissa graduated in 1973. Melissa is in advertising and art in Carrollton, Texas where she and her husband, Glen A. Walther, now live.

The family returned to Henderson in 1972 where, I attended school and graduated in 1940. Curtis Smith was principal and Tobe Moon, superintendent. We love to spend our vacations in Minden and bought a farm there several years ago.

My father was John Homer Carroll, and my mother was Susie Barton. My grandparents were A.A. "Bud"Barton and Lillie McCarter and John A.Carroll and Amanda Bell. The Carrolls were in the lumber and cotton gin business. Bud Barton was a farmer and an Overland car dealer and owned the Barton Hotel in Henderson. All my family is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Minden. My family lived in Tennessee and Georgia in the early 1800’s.

Charles’ parents were George R. Watson and Irene Bowlby of Zanesville, Ohio. His grandparents were Charles Bowlby and Nellie Jones and John Watson and Shellie Hayes. He can trace his family back to England in the fifteenth century.

My husband, Charles, passed away June 14, 1981 and this leaves Keith and me living in Rusk County. Melissa and Glen like to fly their own plane and fly down often to visit us. Keith is a member of the Rusk County Heritage Associaton.

Submitted by Mrs. Charles J. Watson