Page 55 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2022 - Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS

to call her. Within a few months they were married. That
was 33 years ago.
The little boy who dreamt about having a loving family
now enjoys an immediate one numbering over 40. Being
a good husband, father, and granddad is very important
to him. He has been successful in many ways, but
nothing is more precious to him than his family.

Charley has known God’s comfort in loss, His provision
to raise his family, His healing from divorce, and His
love in bringing Darla into his life. His is truly a story of
redemption.

On a lighter note, his advice for the young: get an
education and don’t get tattoos … Charley has nine. He
worked for a Shallowater farmer and, later, for the would also like to use this opportunity to send a shout-
Quicksall-Pryor company. Then he met and married out to his co-workers at Bristo Battery and his twelve
Sandra Sue. Life was good. They stayed busy working great golf buddies for always being there for him.
and raising their young family of four, when suddenly,
she died of a brain aneurism at age 30. Suddenly, he was
faced with the question as to how to raise his
children by himself.

For a time, Charley’s mother stepped in to help,
but as he said, “It wasn’t a good atmosphere for
the kids.” Then, at a party, he met another Sandra
Sue (lovingly referred to as Sandra Sue #2.) They
enjoyed each other’s company and became good
friends.
“One night we went to have coffee,” said Charley,
“and I was telling her how bad things were at
home. She said they could remedy that by getting
married. So, we did.”

After ten years of marriage, the couple came to a
crossroads. Sandra Sue was being transferred to
St. Louis, Charley was well-established with his
Tractor and Fleet Supply business, and the kids
wanted to stay in Lubbock, so they parted ways.
Not long after that, he and a partner bought
McKissack Auto Supply, but he eventually sold
his part in that business and opened another parts
house called Charley’s Auto Supply.

In December, 1979, Charley met Darla Starch at
a Bible study. She was a single mother of three
little ones. They dated off and on for the next ten
years because, as Charley said, “God just kept
putting us back together.” One evening he had an
epiphany and asked himself, “What am I doing
here by myself?” He knew God was telling him

Lubbock Senior Link 55