Charles Granter

When we were children, our parents often visited Dalhart friends in Texas and the zoo owned by the Gumpers situated in a small airplane hangar. Behind the hangar, leaning against the building, was an old small aircraft, abandoned and surrounded by tall grass. One of my fondest memories were of Charlie and I playing in the plane, pretending to be pilots flying all over the world. We recently wrote each other about that as we both remembered it, but he even recalled the type of plane it was. I also remember the many track and field ribbons he won in high school. He set a record for the 100 yard dash and he was very proud of that. We shared a love for animals, passed on to us by both our parents. Charlie wrote beautiful poems about his pets. Charlie loved cars and motorcycles. If anyone had a question about either, he probably had the answer. The best thing he ever did was marry his wife, Anita. He knew that and always expressed both concern and appreciation for her support during their 52 years of marriage. I look forward to seeing him again, giving him a big hug, and saying with a smile, "I told you so."