Charles M. Reece

Charles Millard Reece was born January 15, 1925 in Maywood, Illinois, and passed into eternal life on December 26th.
A memorial service is set for Saturday, December 31st at 10:00 a.m. at First Christian Church Granbury.
Suggested memorials are First Christian Church or the charity of your choice.
After graduating from Kilgore, Texas High School in 1943, he entered the Army as a radio operator and served in Pacific combat in WWII. He met and married Iva Ruth Cude in 1947 and went back to school to answer a call to Christian ministry. They moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology/Sociology from TCU and received his Master of Divinity degree from Brite in 1954. He served joyfully and faithfully as an ordained Disiciple of Christ (Christian Church) minister for 43 years. He served churches in Decatur, Sache, El Paso, Beeville, Sweetwater, and Holly Tree Chapel at Holly Lake Ranch (Hawkins). Every church he served grew as he brought many persons into salvation and church membership.
He was involved in every community where he lived, serving to help those who lived in poverty have better housing, jobs, education and medical care. He did marriage and family counseling and worked closely with Alcoholics Anonymous, counseling and supporting those suffering with addictions. He did many revivals and loved teaching the Bible. He loved to sing and bring joy to those in nursing and retirement homes.
In Beeville they honored him and Ruth with a community farewell dinner at the Bee County Fair Grounds, and in Sweetwater, where he ministered for 17 years, he was named outstanding citizen, and was given a “Charles Reece Day” by declaration of the mayor with an appreciation banquet at the Nolan County Coliseum. At Holy Lake he was recommended for Rural Minister of the Year with Texas A&M. His hobbies were golfing, hunting, fishing, horseshoes, 42 dominoes, and pinochle, but what he valued most was his faith in Jesus Christ and being a devoted husband, father, and friend.
In 2010 he and Ruth said goodbye to many, many friends at Holly Lake Ranch and moved to Granbury, where he lived at Waterview Retirement Home on the lake. As a singer/story-teller he had traveled Texas entertaining and bringing laughter and joy to many. Charles continued to entertain on his guitar up into his 90’s. There was always a crowd that came to hear him sing and yodel. A man of great joy, generosity and love, he will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Survivors: Wife of 69 years, Ruth; Daughters, Margaret Sutton and husband George of Granbury, Patty Reece Amos of Beeville, Karen Wooddell and husband Luke of Arlington and son Richard Reece and wife Brenda of Midland. He is also survived by four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.