March 25, 1934 ~ August 2, 2021 (age 87)
On August 2, 2021, Charles Leonard Carr (C.L.), entered through the gates of Heaven. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Chapel in Erath Garden of Memory. Visitation will be held prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. Services will be officiated by Dr. Ken May with music selections by Darrell Brown. C.L. was a member of First Baptist Church of Stephenville where he worshiped regularly with his Fellowship Sunday Class and church family.
C.L. was born in the family country home near Gracemont, Oklahoma to Joseph Franklin Carr and Annie Fay Venable Carr on March 25, 1934. He was the middle of three children. C.L. attended school in Oklahoma, Dublin and Van Horn, Texas, graduating from Van Horn High School where he excelled in sports, FFA and was voted class favorite. After graduation he entered the United States Army where he served his country in Fort Bliss, El Paso and Thule Air Base, Greenland.
After serving his country, C.L. returned home to Van Horn, Texas and began work for an electric company. He later spent many years working in construction with Quality Control inspection. He was also a successful restaurant owner and owned and operated a tractor house. He lived in Van Horn, El Paso, and Austin. In 1972, he married Jean Carter and together they blended a family of five girls. C.L. had three daughters, and Jean had two daughters. After retirement in 1996, he and his wife, Jean moved to Stephenville where he built their home in the country. He designed and built the home over a three-year period completing the work with his own big hands. These hands were as gifted as they were big. He could build and grow most anything. C.L. and Jean spent happy years living and making many precious memories on the “Little Place”, the name he gave to their home. The family and friends were welcomed there for holidays or just a special visit. As they became grandparents, C.L. and Jean proudly took on the names of Pawpaw and Nana. C.L. worked in his workshop where he built many things including beautiful furniture, trains, clocks, mailboxes, walking sticks, and canes. As a young boy, C.L. carved objects out of small pieces of wood. He loved to carve western boots and stain them by burning with a match. In later years, he went on to carve many creative and beautiful pieces from wood. He also enjoyed his garden work, cooking, and sitting on his front porch with the birds and nature around him. He loved visiting his neighbors, family and friends that would stop by for visits. Jean passed away in 2018, and C.L. continued to live there until he became ill in January of 2021 when he went to stay with his daughter Paddy and Tom Moore in Whitehouse, Texas. He later moved to Assisted Living where he still grew sunflowers and watermelons and was attended with much love.
C.L. loved God, family, friends and nature. His five daughters and grandchildren with their families were a pride and joy. He is survived by four daughters, Eyde and Rusty Hassel, Beth and Steve Squier, Ellen Nicholes and Kim Retzlaff, Paddy and Tom Moore, and son-in-law, Tom Klukas, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister, Carolyn and Hardy Hampton, sister-in-law, Anita Drake, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his wife Jean Carr, parents Frank and Fay Carr, daughter Kathy Klukas, and brother, Gene Carr.
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