Charles Arnold Windles 1924-2011

WINDLES CLEVINGER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 6/24/2011 at 14:36:48

Sioux City Journal
25 April 2011

SIOUX CITY -- Charles Arnold Windles, 87, of Sioux City, beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 22, 2011, at Bickford Cottage.

Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Morningisde Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Avenue, with the Rev. Matt Wentz officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery, with a luncheon to follow at the church. Visitation will be 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel.

Charles was born Jan. 18, 1924, in Sioux City, Iowa, one of 13 children of William and Bertha Windles. He was married on April 7, 1945, to Dell Clevinger in Olympia, Wash. They met while Charles was stationed in the U.S. Navy at Bremerton, Wash. He joined the Navy on Sept. 24, 1942, taking basic training, ordnance school, aerial gunnery and anti-aircraft school in San Diego, Calif.

He was then stationed at Ford Island Pearl Harbor Naval Air Base for flying duty with Squadron VJ-10 and thereafter shipped to the South Pacific to Solomon Islands Henderson Air Base. He was honorably discharged on Sept. 7, 1945, due to an injury. He was a World War II veteran, proud to have served his country and never complained that it cost him his sight in one eye.

Charles had a very active, interesting and successful life. He began his career in the state of Washington as a lumberjack and in 1948, moved to Oregon to help expand the family logging business. In the 1950s, he went on to achieve electronics schooling and opened his own TV and appliance business. He was directly responsible for bringing TV reception to his town of Bandon, Ore. in the late 1950s, a town hero.

In 1963, the entire family moved to Sioux City to help take care of his parents in their elderly years. He then began a new career at the Sioux City Post Office, retiring on Aug. 3, 1985, after 21 years as an area maintenance technician. He traveled many counties of Iowa and was well known by all the postmasters and valued and awarded many innovative technical achievements.

Charles is survived by his son, Don Windles and wife, Sue of Sioux City; daughter, Donna Lobur and her husband, Michael of San Diego, Calif.; brothers, Don Windle and his wife, Lorraine and John Windle, all of Sioux City; sisters, Nellie Knudson of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Wyotta of Idaho; proud grandfather to Jeff and Tracy of San Diego, Scott and his wife, Jenny of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Nicole and husband, Troy of Columbus, Neb.; and great-grandfather to nine children.

Charles was married to his beloved wife, Dell for over 65 years, whom he lost on March 10, 2010. They are now together forever.

Memorials may be directed to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301, Attn: Gift Processing or Hospice of Siouxland.