Charles Newton Collyar ~ ~ ~ 1874 - 1959

Submitted by: Margaret Haynes

Charles Newton Collyar

Charles Newton Collyar, known as "Charlie", was born November 20, 1874 on a farm in Neosho County, Kansas, near Chanute. He was the son of Jasper Collyar and Mary (Mitchell) Collyar. And the grandson of John Elbert Collyar who brought his wife and children to Neosho County in 1861 before the Civil War. His grandfather signed up in 1861 and served in Co.G of the 9th Kansas Volunteer Cavalary. John is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, near Chanute, in Neosho Co., Kansas.

Charles Newton Collyar was the oldest child of six children of Jasper and Mary (Mitchell) Collyar. He had five brothers, Justis A. Collyar who died young about 1890; Harry Ellsworth Collyar who died about 1946; Oren E. who died as a child in 1884; William Franklin Collyar who married Bertha Berry, and died in 1950 and is buried in Ft. Smith, Arkansas; and Loyd Brooks Collyar who died in 1925 after a vaudeville performance during a terrible heat wave, and is buried in Chanute, Kansas. Charlie was about sixteen when his mother died. He spent his early years in Kansas, working on his father's farm, and according to a great granddaughter, he also worked for others, going on cattle drives between Kansas and Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

He was married when he was twenty, to Myrtle Edna Splane, on October 3, 1894, in Sumner County, Kansas. She was the daughter of John M. Splane and Jane Matilda (McCutcheon) Splane. Some of Charlie's Collyar family were living in Geuda Springs, in Sumner Co., Kansas, about that time. And Myrtle had family in Sumner County and Cowley County, Kansas. Myrtle's sister Mary was married about the same place and time to Marshall Sharp, a good friend of Charlie's. Charlie was a real character and he was close friends with Marshall Sharp and I imagine they were quite a pair when they were younger!

Charles Newton Collyar and Myrtle Edna (Splane) Collyar were parents of eight children: Earl Edward Collyar who married Anna May Bushman and lived in Blackwell, Claude Oran Collyar who married Mary Mayme Falkenberg and lived in Kay Co. and in Grant Co., Oklahoma, Corda Pearl Collyar who married first to Mr. Sullenger, and married second to Roy Stricklen, Annie May Collyar (deceased), married first to Marvin Marney and second to Les Harrington, Mary Eva Collyar married Albert M. J. "Bert" Klofkorn, Marshall Jasper Collyar died at age 12 in 1921, and was buried in Collinsville, Oklahoma, Floyd Merle Collyar married Lulla Rollins, and Florence Collyar who died as a baby in 1916 in Altoona, Kansas.

Charlie was a wanderer. According to grandchildren of Charlie and Myrtle, Charlie moved around a lot in their earlier years, in a covered wagon and this continued after he married and had some of his children. By what we have found and other researchers have found, they moved around a wide area in northern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas. Several of his children didn't share his love of this kind of life but Charlie was really a vagabond. It's too bad they didn't have recreation vehicles in those days, we imagine his family would have loved that. He and his family settled in Blackwell. He was a retired smelter worker. There are many family stories about Charlie.

Charlie and Myrtle started married life in Kansas where their first child, Earl, was born in 1895. By 1897, they were in Indian Territory. In 1900, Charlie and Myrtle and three children, ages 5 years to 7 months, were in Township 24 N. Range 13 East, with a Post Office address of Romona, Indian Territory. Charlie was working as a section hand, probably on a ranch.

By 1910, They were in Geuda Springs, Walton Township, Sumner Co., Kansas. On that census, Charles Newton Collyar was age 37, born Kansas, married once for 16 years, was a farmer. His wife Myrtle, age 37, born Kansas, married once for 16 years, was mother of six children with six living, and their six children were Earl age 15, born Kansas, son Claude age 13, born Oklahoma, daughter Corda age 10 born Oklahoma, daughter May age (can't read it), born in Oklahoma, daughter Mary age 4 years, born in Kansas, and son Marshall age 1 year & 8 months, born in Kansas.

Charlie and Myrtle's grandson, Clarence A. Collyar, told me that his grandpa and grandma liked going to dances in their earlier days, often at a neighbors, and they took the children along too. The Collyar's for the most part, loved to dance and loved country music. Charlie liked calling square dances. And his half-sister Cora had her own band, the Arkansas Travelers and I imagine she played at some dances in th Blackwell and Drumright areas that Charlie attended. I know Clarence knew Cora and her band.

One of my favorite stories about Charlie was told to me by his grandson, Gary Klofkorn. Gary told me the only dogs he had while growing up were strays and he had found this little stray dog. This was when he was just a little boy. Every day he would walk over to his grandparents' house and he took his little dog. He didn't have a rope or collar for it, and as he was afraid it would run away, he always held two of the dog's paws so it had to walk on two legs when he went to his grandparents house. When his Grandpa Charlie saw him coming, he would say, "Here comes that little kid and his dog!" But that didn't dampen Gary's spirits. Being a little boy, he always wanted to do everything his grandfather did. He was fascinated by his Grandpa Charlie's eating his peas with his knife. Of course little Gary had to try it too. Needless to say, his skill at this was a little wobbly, being a little boy, and the peas would roll off the knife, then off the talble onto the floor. When Charlie got up to walk from the table, he would step on the peas and squash them with his foot or shoe, and then Charlie would say a few unprintable words! But it never daunted Gary's love for his grandpa. And the next day, Gary and his little dog would come to visit him again.

Charlie was never called for military service, but Charlie and Myrtle's son Claude, served in the U.S. Army in World War One. Their grandson, Clarence Albert "Tuff" Collyar was a wrestler on a Champion school team and he served in the Navy during WWII and Korea; grandson Cloren Collyar was a Master Sgt. in the U.S. Army in WWII. Grandson Leopold Sullenger served in U.S. Army and died in Europe in WWII. Grandson Jack Klofkorn served in the Navy in WWII. And other relatives have had special accomplishments and served in the military.

Charlie and Myrtle Collyar had been married nearly fifty years, when she died on January 1, 1943 in Blackwell.

Charles Newton Collyar died at his home, at the age of 84 years of a heart attack, in the late afternoon, on January 21, 1959, in Blackwell, Kay County, Oklahoma.

Survivors were sons, Earl Collyar of Blackwell, Ok., Claude Collyar of Kaw City, Ok., Floyd Collyar of Blackwell, Ok.; daughters, Corda Pearl Stricklen of Seal Beach, California, and Mary Eva Klofkorn of Blackwell, Ok.; one half-sister, Cora (Collyar) Stokes of Coffeyville, Kansas; 21 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Myrtle, one son, Marshall, and two daughters, May and Florence.

The funeral service was held in the Chapel with the Rev. Gerald Bushman of Newkirk officiating, on Saturday January 24, 1959 at 2 p.m. Burial was in the IOOF Cemetery in Blackwell, Kay Co. Oklahoma.