It is with a sad heart that we report that Charles Wilhite passed away Saturday, July 24, 2004 at his home. His funeral was held on Monday at 2 pm at First United Methodist Church in Decatur. Reverends Fred Utz, Johnny Irish, and Darrell Coats officiated.

For years, Charles has written the Oak Grove Newsletter. With his family’s help, he was able to continue writing and publishing it, even when he was ill. Each month he paid for the printing and mailing of 200 letters throughout the United States, often hand delivering them to special people in the Decatur community.

We never realized how hard he worked and how much he contributed until we agreed to continue the newsletter ourselves. We kidded Charles that it is taking four women to do the job of one man. He enjoyed that. Actually, it is taking all the women of the church just to get articles written, typed, edited, printed, stamped, folded, addressed, and mailed.

We will never take his place, but we honor him by continuing the newsletter. God bless you, Charles, for all you did for Oak Grove. We miss you already.

In 1988, Carl E. Privitt moved back to Decatur and began selling real estate. Mr. Privitt, Rev. Lester Dakin, a retired Presbyterian minister at Oak Grove, and Charles Wilhite agreed to do a newsletter to help increase the membership of the church. Mr. Privitt died suddenly of a heart attack, and Rev. Dakin went to Tahlequah to a retirement home, so Charles was left to do the Oak Grove Newsletter. At that time, there were 30-40 families who received the newsletter, but as the years passed, the newsletter became so popular that Charles began mailing them as well as hand-delivering them, paying for the cost of printing and postage himself. Many times others would donate money to offset the cost that he incurred each month. From the memorials that friends have made in Charles’s honor, the church has purchased a printer so that we can print our own copies. We have also received a bulk-mail permit so that we can pay lower postage rates. Today, because of his dedication and hard work, the newsletter reaches over 300 families all over the United States, including Alaska! None of it would be possible without the vision and persistence of one man, Charles Wilhite!

Oak Grove UMC
1295 Greenwood Rd.
Decatur Tx 76234
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