NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Charlie Moore, 73, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 surrounded by his family.
The newest farm hand on the Moore Farm was born in Doniphan, Missouri Oct. 23, 1948. His parents, Bud and Josephine Moore, gave him eight months off before his first watermelon harvest, and to hear him tell it he did it by himself. After a couple years of walking bare foot trips uphill both ways to attend the world-renowned educational institution, Pig Ankle a one room country school, he was then forced to attend Naylor Schools where he graduated in 1967.
After graduation he attempted Southern Baptist University and Arkansas State University, where he very quickly learned he was a much better rock disc jockey than a college student. His radio gigs led him to Conway, Arkansas where he met the southern belle, Jackie Trammel.
In spite of being a long-haired hippy disc jockey, he was still a Moore, and worked his magic. Finally, after several attempts he wore Jackie down and they went on their first date. Charlie’s charm did not carry over to Jackie’s father, who made every attempt possible to convince his southern belle not to marry Charlie, including bribes. Eventually, on July 7, 1973, Jackie pulled her father down the aisle where she joined Charlie, who still hadn’t cut his hair.
After he and Jackie were married, he realized that she always had summers and holiday’s off. He begged Arkansas State to let him try again and evidently there was an entirely new administrative faculty because he eventually obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Specialist in Education from ASU.
Charlie managed to teach and be an administrator in two of the Butler County School Systems that Jackie would allow, because Neelyville was her territory, and she wasn’t going to share her turf with him. He was the gentle giant of the halls of J. Minnie Smith, Eugene Field, and W.K. as a teacher and then Twin Rivers – Fisk, Kinyon, and Lake Road as a principal.
After 28 years, he retired to spend more time with his other love in life, his Goldwing Trike. He traveled thousand of miles, including one trip to simply to eat a lobster in Maine. He found the first restaurant in Maine across the state line that served lobster, ate and came home. He also rode his motorcycle to Cardinal’s spring training, Key West for the view, and Louisiana for the cuisine and climate.
Charlie was the father of Chuck and Andy and put up with them until they finally brought him Mandy and Alyssa, and most importantly his grandkids; Lily, Rachel, Jackson, and Maclaren.
Charlie is also survived by the other two Moore Farm hands, Anna Mary Sebourn and husband, Charles, of Doniphan, Missouri and Dennis Moore and wife, Dixie, St. Peter’s, Missouri. The greatest parental tag team in history also adopted their son’s friends and considered them children, Darrell Norris, Mark Acre, Brad Rayburn, Justin Sanders, and Lonnie Lewis.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. – noon Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 at Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville, Missouri. A graveside service will be following visitation at Naylor City Cemetery with Bro. Steve Patterson officiating.
Charlie didn’t like flowers so please don’t send any for his services, seriously, he means it. Please donate to Type 1 Diabetes research, Doctor’s without Borders, or purchase your children or grandchildren an extra Christmas gift this year. Any of those options would mean more to him and his family than sending a flower or plant.
And lastly, just remember pitchers and catchers report in two months. Go Cardinals!