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Wednesday, December 4, 2019
12:00 P.M.
St. John Missionary Baptist Church
317 N. Grady Street
Claxton, GA
Reverend Dr. Stephen L. James,
Pastor/Eulogist
Reverend Stanford L. Anderson,
Presiding
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Processional
Hymn.......................................Amazing Grace
Scripture
Old Testament........................Rev. James Howard
New Testament........................Rev. Earl Ricks, Jr.
Invocation............................Dr. Charlie Anderson
Selection.................First African Baptist Church Choir
A Life of Service (Limit 2 minutes)
Church.................................Dea. John Jones
City................Mayor Terry Branch, City of Claxton
County..............County Commissioner Sheila Holland
Business Service.............Former Mayor Luther Royal
Family.................................Curtis Harden
Neighbor.............................Rev. Eddie Mincey
Class of57............................Pauline Hendrix
Acknowledgements...........................Sis. Angela Jones
Resolution.........................Sis. Charlene Mckinnon
Solo.......................................Bro. David Sharpe
Eulogy..................................Pastor Stephen James
Recessional..................................(Sweet By & By)
Interment: Historic Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
The family will receive friends and share repast at the
Evans County Community Center.
Charles Eugene Milton was born to the parents of the late John &
Annie Mae Milton, Saturday, June 11, 1938.
Although his parents had very little time to nurture him because they
both passed away when Charles was about 6 years old, he remembers
his mother as a caring, loving and protective person. His grandmother
Phoebe Middleton raised him along with his cousin Jimmy, whose
mother also passed away while he was a young boy. The two boys
became inseparable during their growing years. Grandmother Phoebe
had help with raising the boys from her own children, Margaret, Jessie,
Effie and Dot. Although Uncle Jessie was Jimmys father, he was a father
to Charles as well. While he was still young, Charles was always busy
working at whatever jobs he could find, because he felt an obligation
to help his grandmother with their financial needs.
Charles attended Evans County Training School, later became
Evans Co. High school. His buddies included Roosevelt Brewton,
Charles Douglas, Charles Boggs, and Frank Hagan. They spend
time fooling around, riding in his old 1941 Ford. The guys enjoyed
working together but Charles out worked them all which caused them
to complain because they had to work harder in order to keep up with
him. He graduated in the class of 1957.
In the early seventies, he enrolled at Swainsboro Area Vocational
Technical School and studied Heating & Air Conditioning. He
successfully completed the requirements for graduation and was
awarded his Diploma in September 1972. He was later granted
professional licenses for both Electrical Contractor and Master
Plumbing by the State of GA. He was the first and only Black Licensed
Master Plumber and Electrician in Evans County.
Charles fell in love with his high school sweetheart, Geraldine
Oxendine. They were married in 1956. To this union one daughter,
Charlene was born.
After graduation from high school, Charles moved his family
to Miami, Florida where they lived for a while. Although Charles
worked at various jobs and was beginning to establish himself, he was
unable to find work in plumbing because of restrictions posed by the
Plumbers union. Later, a decision was made to relocate back home.
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Upon returning home, we befriended Lorenzo Bacon and George (Sonny)
Grant and were best friends for life.
Charles designed and built their new home with the help of Geraldine.
While he worked during the day, she worked diligently at helping to get
the home ready. In larer years, they gave their daughrer away in marriage
ro Derest McKinnon.
They were good neighbors to the Ricks, Mincey and Batts families. j
They were blessed with a grandson Varian whom they loved and spent
time with him as he grew up to be a fine young man. Life was good and
successful. However, the late 90s brought a season of sickness, and grief
due to the illness and later dearh of Charles beloved wife Geraldine.
After being widowed for a period of time, Charles invited Patricia,
whom he saw standing on the front porch waiting on her ride to work
one October morning in 2000, to dinner and began a courtship which
led to marriage on Sat., Feb. 23, 2002. God blessed them with love for
one another and family, with sweet contentment and lots of joy. They
witnessed the weddings of Varian and Candice, Charles and Myra, and
other family events including deaths of loved ones and in 2017, Varian
received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Adminisrration from
Troy University. He made papa real happy!
His business dreams and ideas took root during high school years. His
interest in repairing electrical products became more than a hobby. He was
hired by C.T. Lewis who taught him how to plumb and wire houses.
He started his business from rhe back of an old 1946 ford with the help
of Uncle Jessie. Uncle Jessie brought him his first pick-up and encouraged
him to step out on his own.
Being a black man and self- employed was very challenging in the
sixties. There were many obstacles to overcome. For example, getting paid
less for jobs that required difficult work, going under houses that had very
little crawl spaces, and sometimes not getting paid at all. There were times
when he was rejected and turned down for jobs just because he was black,
but through ir all and wirh the help of God, he persevered and made it.
During rhe 70s and 80s God allowed an abundance of work in Fort
Stewart, Hinesville and Glynn County. With his business partner, John
Morris and a crew of 8, several commercial businesses, day care cenrers,
military housing and other facilities were plumbed and wired. In addition,
some grant work was available in Evans County. Charles and John Morris
were involved in one of the renovations at the Evans County Court House.
They plumbed, wired and installed the heating and cooling system. In
addition, Charles and his crew constructed the churchs Educational
Building in October 1989 in time for the Churchs Centennial Anniversary.
In the decades of the 90s into 2000, C.E. Milton was one of the key
contractors who assisted Marshall Monk in renovating several homes in
Evans County. Other contracting jobs included Metter High School, area
churches and several businesses, later Southern Railway and completed an
upgrade to the Churchs front rest rooms.
He was selected by a major construction company from North
Carolina to subcontract at Rite v\id in Claxton and Savannah and provided
electrical wiring for Smithfields Refrigerator delivery service. He stayed
current with industry changes, and enjoyed his work and thanked God for
his helpers, Bernice, Bennie, Tony, and Onteria and for the ability to work
over 50 years in his profession.
He was selected by Claxton Downtown Development Authority
to serve as the Festival of Eights Parades Grand Marshal 2012 and the
recipient of various other honors and awards. He loved to fish, travel and
was known as the Country Plumber.
Charles spent his early years at St. Luke Baptist Church, Daisy. At St.
Luke, he served as Sunday School Superintendent. Later, he joined his
family at St. John M.B. Church.
At St. John he served in various ministries, as finance & trustee
chairperson, Sunday School teacher and Superintendent, Ordained as
Deacon 2008 and appointed Chairman after the death of Deacon Banks.
Charles served as the Churchs Contractor and coordinated any work that
required outside contractors. He attended Sunday School, Prayer and
Bible Study faithfully, was loyal and obedient to his Pastor and above all
love the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter, Charlene and Derest
McKinnon (son-in-law); grandson, Varian (Candice) McKinnon, Stone
Mt, GA; Step sons, Kelvin Harris, Glaxton; Charles Jackson, Jr. (Myra)
Lithonia, GA; Step Grands, Trinity Jackson, SGAD; Landon and Logan
Jackson, Lithonia, GA; Sister-in-laws, Pauline Glover, Claxton; Harvesteen
To rain, Brookeville, Md.; Arberdeen Gamble, Philadelphia, PA; Eileen
Rosado, Hyde Park, MA.; His special cousin, Jimmy Middleton; nieces,
special nephews, Curtis Harden, Miguel Wiggins, other nephews, cousins,
relatives, host of friends and loved ones.

We little knew that morning that God was goin to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone;
for part of us went with you, the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide;
and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same;
but as God calls us one by one, THE GHAIN will link again.
- Ron Tranmer