Charles MONSEES

Enid News and Eagle Enid, Garfield Co., OK

July 22, 2005

Submitted by: Jo Agiurre

Funeral services for Charles W. Monsees, 71, Enid, will be Saturday, July 23, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in the Brown-Cummings Funeral Home Chapel with Ray Rose, minister of Garriott Road Church of Christ officiating. Burial will follow with full military honors provided by the U.S. Army in Memorial Park Cemetery. Services are under the directions of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.

Charles was born at Columbia, Missouri on August 15, 1933 to Logan T. Monsees and Vivian Vaughan Monsees, and died July 20, 2005 at home. He started school in Oklahoma City. He moved to Enid with his family where he attended McKinley Elementary School, Emerson Junior High School, and graduated from Enid High School with the class of 1951.

Charles married Patricia D. Dryden on August 26, 1955 at Antioch Church of Christ southeast of Ames. He graduated from Oklahoma A--M College (now Oklahoma State University) in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He received a commission of 2nd lieutenant through the R.O.T.C. program at Oklahoma A--M. He commanded the 597th Transportation Detachment that was called to active duty in September of 1961 during the Berlin Crisis and was assigned to Ft. Polk, Louisiana. He was discharged with his unit in August of 1962. Charles continued to remain with the Reserve Unit in Enid until 1978 attaining the rank of Major.

Charles earned a bachelor's of journalism degree from the University of Missouri in 1958. He and his family moved to Enid and he worked with his dad publishing "The Pictorial Mail'' an area farm newspaper until 1980. Charles and his dad began concentrating on the oil and gas business in which they had been involved for many years. Most recently the business was known as Monsees Enterprises, LLC. Charles remained active in the business on a limited scale because of health problems until his death. Charles was elected to the original Autry Vo-Tech School Board in 1967, serving a total of 12 years. He was a member of the Noon AMBUCS and the Noon Lion's Club. Charles was active in the Enid Coin Club following a hobby he enjoyed. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting.

Charles spent countless hours working with his children's teams as a coach or assistant coach. He coached basketball, baseball, football and softball while his children were growing up, working in the Enid Youth, Inc., YWCA and YMCA programs. He was known as "Coach'' to his players and beamed with happiness in later years when approached by a young man who said "Coach, do you know who I am. He emphasized basic skills and sportsmanship and influenced many young men and women with his quiet way and the family values he practiced. Charles continued to sponsor teams until his death. He was a Methodist.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Charles is survived by his wife, Patricia of the home; his children, Kim Van Winkle and husband Tom of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Kelly Bloom and husband David of Highland's Ranch, Colorado; Charles W. (Chuck) Monsees II and wife Shari of Breckenridge, Oklahoma, Kevin Monsees and wife Connie of Highland's Ranch, Colorado and Kyle Monsees of Denver, Colorado. Also, eight grandchildren, Logan VanWinkle, Jerrod, Casey and Caren Monsees, Tyler Bloom and Alec, Mason, and Landon Monsees; his mother-in-law, Leora Dryden of Enid; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Tony and Joe Taylor of Ft. Worth, Texas; nephews and families, Kirk and wife Paula of Watauga, Texas, Scott and wife Missy of Ronoke, Texas; and a niece, Traci Taylor of Enid numerous cousins, great nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

He was a devoted and loving husband, a proud and loving dad and was affectionately called "Poppy'' by his grandchildren whom he adored. Memorials may be made in Charles' memory to Denny Price YWCA, Westview Boys Home, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Cancer Division with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the fund. Condolences to the family may be made online at brown-cummings.com.