MARION COUNTY OBITUARIES

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Young, Charlie

Jefferson Jimplecute, Tuesday, January 3, 1939

Charlie Young, Local Colored Barber Who Shaved Jefferson's Citizens For Half Century, Is Dead

     Funeral services for one of Texas' oldest barbers and one of Jefferson's oldest and best-known colored citizens, Charlie Young, were held Monday afternoon at the St. Paul colored church. He was about 80 years old. Charlie died Saturday afternoon, bringing to a close a life that was
closely associated with many of Jefferson's most treasured memories.

     Charlie was born on a plantation near Clarksville. His parents were slaves on the Sam Smith plantation. When the slaves were freed his mother came to Jefferson and Charlie went to work at the age of eight as a bootblack in Joe LePara's   barber shop. Joe LePara noticed Charlie's industrious work, and when Charlie was 14 he was given a chair in the shop, after serving about a year as an apprentice. That was the brightest day in his life.

Dave Culberson, later congressman from Texas, was Charlie's first customer. Many other notables have sat in Charlie's barber chair during the
half-century he trimmed hair. He opened his own shop in Hughes Springs in a few years. He also waited on tables in the hotel and played in a five-piece orchestra there. Charlie was a clarinet player in Hamilton walker's colored band, which played for all the formal functions in this part of East Texas. Dances, weddings, and other gala occasions always called for the music of Hamilton Walker's band. This orchestra played for the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Wise more than 60 years ago and years later played for the wedding of their daughter, Mabel, to Martin Ragley.

In 1890 Charlie opened his first barber shop in Jefferson on Polk street, a four-chair shop which he operated for about eight years before moving to the location on Austin street where remained in business until forced by ill health to retire a few years ago.