Charles L. Stricklan
BISMARCK — Charles L. Stricklan, Sr. of Bismarck Passed away February 23, 2011. Charles L. Stricklan was born to Alford and Ida (Jaycox) Stricklan on September 6, 1928 in Lesterville, Mo. One of eight children (Joseph, Elmer, Netta, Etta, Delman, Irma and Della), Charlie was raised on a farm with his mother moving to just outside of Belleview, Mo following Alford’s death and her remarriage to George Grenia. Charlie worked on the farm and for various other farmers around home and was for some time a “gas jockey” at a local filling station.
In 1949 he married Helen M. Williams and the couple raised three children, Glenn, Sharon and Charlie Jr. living in St. Louis and in the sixties moving to Jefferson County, near the town of Otto, Mo., on highway 21.
In St. Louis, Charlie worked for several years for the St. Louis Stove Company and then for the last 35 years of his working career for Laclede Gas Company where he was a member of the OCAW (the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers of America). Initially he worked on the crews that put most of the gas lines into the homes in Ladue, Creve Coeur, Clayton and more. “The rich folks homes” as he would put it. Later, due to an injury, he was moved to the Laclede Meter Shop on Gravois & California in St. Louis. He worked there checking and repairing gas meters until his retirement. In the late 50’s, he purchased a family farm just outside of Bismarck, MO. The farm let him and the family spend summers roaming the fields and hills and riding the ponies from the eighboring farmers. Always a farmer, even in the city, Charlie found little places to build gardens. Gardening and canning was a real passion. Around his retirement, he and Helen moved permanently to Bismarck where he farmed and raised goats, cows, chickens and more. Many people in the surrounding communities anxiously awaited him to come by with fresh eggs. But his greatest passion was talking. He loved to talk to people. He loved little children and made pets out of all of his animals. His leisure time was spent hunting, fishing and gardening.
Charlie is survived by two of his sisters and his sons Glenn and Charlie, and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Boyer Funeral Home in Desloge on Friday March 4, 2011 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m for friends and associates. Visitation will resume at Boyer Funeral Home from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday. Services will held at the Boyer Funeral Home Saturday March 5 at 11 a.m. Interment will be follow at the Chapman Cemetery in Reynolds County.
