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| Charles Eli Platt |
| Compiled from family records and memories,, and from a book "Making a Home in Stillwater: by Peggy McCormick, 1989. The book excerpt was provided by Dolores Winston |
| Charles Eli Platt was the fourth son and twelfth child of Papa and Mama. He was born April 3, 1909 at 4:30 AM, at the homestead at Crystal. He attended the schools in Stillwater and finished high school there, about 1927 |
| Story:
Papa traveled to Dallas for something, and Mama stayed behind. Papa sent a telegram saying he was sick and for Mama to come get him. Well, Mama never drove, so ten year old Charles climbed behind the wheel and off they went. No driver requirements of any kind then but the law DID say the all motorists had to stop at railroad crossings. At one crossing, the land around was very flat and Mama could see miles in every direction, so she could NOT understand the wasted time. She told Charles to go on across the tracks, don't stop! The one thing she hadn't seen was the police car! "Why didn't you stop there, young fellow?" asked the policeman. "I told him not to" replied Mama. "That'll be a $10 fine. Charles said Mama's anger lasted the remainder of the trip. |
| Charles remembers taking the train to Oklahoma City to pick up new Model T's and driving them to Stillwater. The bodies were shipped separately by freight to Stillwater, so Charles had to sit on the chassis' gas tank tor the trip. |
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| Fred and Charles on Nellie II |
| Story:
Harmon and Raymond had the Ford agency in Perkins and Papa and Mama would often drive down to see them. One day, Charles and Fred put their heads together and decided to hitch hike to Perkins, but not to tell the folks. They told the folks they were going to walk to Perkins, and set out. They quickly got a ride and were waiting at Raymond's house when the floks arrived. "Thought you boys were going to walk", Papa said. His voice was controlled but they could sense the agitation. "We got a ride", was their reply. Nothing more was said, but when the time came to go home, Charles and Fred ran to the car and got in. Papa's words were "No, you boys wanted to walk. You get out. You are not going to ride". They started out walking, but just as it was getting dark, Raymond appeared in a car and drove them on home. Perkins is 30 miles south of Stillwater. That would have been a LONG hike. |
| Typical Charles, with sister Nora. |
| Charles was a Boy Scout and one year the Boy Scouts all visited a Camp Fire Girls meeting. There he met Donna Mae McCoy. Her family were also pioneers, having made the run, homesteaded and lived on the homestead several years before also moving to Stillwater. Her father operated a hotel and second hand store. |
| He married Donna Mae in 1929. She was a sweet sixteen and Charles was 20. Their parents were not happy about the union, and considered an annulment. The young couple convince them of their love and commitment to the union. It was genuine -they remained together all the rest of their lives, doting on each other.
The bought a house on East Miller Street and lived there the rest of their married life. Son Charles Edward (Cork)was born there in 1930, with Mollyann following in 1933. One fall day in about 1942, Harmon's son Leonard knocked at the door unannouced and said he was starting at the college and could he spend the night with them and look for a permanent room the next day. The Platt generosity showed and he ended up staying for the next four years, sharing a room with Cork. |
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| Charles and Donna Mae |
| Charles was employed by the college for his entire working career, retiring in 1974, where he had been the Manager of the receiving station. He and Donna Mae never missed a college football game and were pretty well known as OSU's biggest fans. At family reunions to this day, no one dares to admit to preferring any other college team over OSU!
Donna Mae died in September, 1995 Charles always had what much of the family referred to as the "Platt Knees" and they began to fail him. He moved to a nursing home in Ardmore, Oklahoma to be close to Mollyann, and was a favorite among the residents. He died there on September 29, 1999 at age 90. For more about Charles' life read his wonderful obituary! |