Charlie Fee (1922-2012)

FEE, COLLETT, WOLFORD

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 8/12/2012 at 00:58:03

From Fredregill Family Funeral Home obituary, Zearing, Story County, Iowa:

Charlie Fee, 89, of Rural Zearing, Iowa passed away on Saturdy, January 28, 2012 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa. Visitation will be on Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 5-7 p.m. at the Fredregill Funeral Home in Zearing. Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 3, 2012 at the Bethel United Methodist Church in Zearing.

Charlie Fee was born on April 26, 1922 to Ewel and Suda (Collett) Fee in rural Appalachia near Roark, Kentucky. His family’s living came from coal mining, logging, and farming. After completing schooling up to 8th grade, he worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps, OP Postal delivery on horseback, coal mining and logging until he was drafted into the US Army during World War II.

Upon Completing Army Commando training in California and Texas he transitioned through camps in Maryland and New York before being shipped on the Queen Elizabeth from the USA to England for the Normandy, France invasion. He landed on Normandy in the first week of the invasion and served along with thousands of replacement troops in the push from Normandy to interior France.

His specific duties were with a Raiders’ Platoon (reconnaissance squad) attached to the 24th Mechanized Cavalry. He was an expert marksman. His combat weapons included 50 caliber and 30 caliber machine guns, a 45 caliber Thompson sub-machine gun, and a 45 caliber side arm. His particular role was to scout ahead of enemy lines to locate and assess German military forces and assets. He was wounded in action in August 1944. Among other awards, he was given the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Europe. After returning to Kentucky where his family still resided, including Phillip, his son from an earlier relationship, he met Audrey Wolford, who was a missionary teacher at the Jack’s Creek School of Redbird Mission. They began a friendship and courtship, and eventually married on June 11, 1947. Interestingly, Charlie had hauled rocks to build the Jack’s Creek School long before meeting Audrey. Shortly after exchanging vows, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky where Charlie took advantage of his G.I. Bill opportunities by enrolling in a cabinetmaking program at Lafayette Vocational School, where he later graduated at the top of his class, and launched his career as a professional cabinetmaker and highly respected furniture builder. His appreciation of nature was evident in his craftsmanship. His work typically featured classic styles and traditional joinery, intricate handmade inlay, and finishes that exposed the intrinsic beauty of native hardwoods.

While in Lexington Charlie and Audrey bore their first child, Donald Charles Fee, who unfortunately died of pneumonia at the age of one month. While admirers touted Charlie’s building skills, the lure of farming the black soils of Iowa proved too great, and when Charlie was invited to work with Audrey’s father and brother (Harry and Vernon Wolford) at the family farm in Northeast Story County, Iowa, he took the offer. It was at the “hired man house” on the Wolford farm that Charlie and Audrey raised four more children, Joel, Donna, David and Daniel. It was also during this time that Charlie worked as a local veterinarian’s helper, and later launched his additional career as a building and grounds employee at the National Animal Disease Laboratory, just outside Ames, Iowa, until his retirement after twenty years of federal service. Charlie continued to farm for about a decade after retirement. When not at work, in addition to woodworking, Charlie enjoyed activities such as raising and riding horses, shooting sports, storytelling, spending time with his friends, children, grandchildren. After 57 years of marriage, his wife Audrey passed away. He was a steadfast caregiver for her throughout the years of her illness. He cherished his family members, both in Iowa and Kentucky. He passed away peacefully at 89 years of age.

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