Charles Oscar Lee

COPELAND, LEE, ROGERS, SHARP, TATMAN, UPTON

Posted By: Janet Beranek Hume (email)
Date: 8/19/2006 at 21:36:31

C.O. Lee came to Deaf Smith County (Texas) with the intention of becoming a rancher and bought land near Kelso in the northwest part of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Lee moved to Hereford November 1907. He was in real estate business for a time, farmed a short while before he went to work for Dunlap Hardware Company. For several years Mr. Lee owned and operated the C.O. Lee Hardware Store which later became Streu Hardware. Mr. Lee received the appointment as rural mail carrier for Routes 3 and 4 under Postmaster J.A. Wear. This was an enjoyable part of his life – carrying the mail. He continued this work until his death.

Charles Oscar Lee was born in Clark County, Missouri, April 4, 1876, to Albert G. and Charlotte Sharp Lee, and was married to Ora Belle Tatman, January 27, 1898, near Milton, Iowa. She was born in Van Buren County, Iowa, July 3, 1882. They were members of the First Presbyterian Church, he was an Elder at the time of his death., August 30, 1934. They were devout Christians, Bible reading and prayer each morning before breakfast with family and any visitors. He had been Superintendent of Sunday School and teacher of an adult class. Mrs. Lee was also a teacher and both worked with the Christian Endeavor. They were active in Oddfellow and Rebekah Lodges. Mr. Lee was serving on county School Board when Stanton Junior High School was built in 1925. Mrs. Lee died August 22, 1951.

They were parents of Ruth (Mrs. A.R.) Rogers, Leland C. Lee who married Irene Willis and lives in Dimmitt, Texas, Oscar Grant Lee who married Rhoda Perkins (later he married Charla Irene Burns), and Jane Louise Lee who was stillborn.

There were four grandchildren: Leland Willis Lee, Carolyn Joyce Copeland, Nancy Sue Upton (Leland C. Lee’s children); and Leo C. Rogers (son of Ruth B. and Arthur R. Rogers) who was killed September 9, 1943, in Italy during WW II. He was a Deacon in Presbyterian Church here.

There are five great grandsons and one great granddaughter: Leland Willis and Marie Lee have two sons, Leland Willis, Jr. and David Gregory Lee. Carolyn Joyce Copeland had twin sons, Charles Lee and George Lee Copeland. Nancy Sue and Joe Upton have a son, Paul and a daughter, Barbara Lynn.

There are three great, great grandchildren. George Lee and Gaylynne Copeland have Keely Renee, born March 3, 1979, and Rachel Elizabeth, born April 29, 1980. Charles Lee and Diane Copeland have Gregory James, born June 30, 1980.

(Written by Mrs. Ruth Rogers)