Charlotte Alston | ||
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| Charlotte Gertrude Alston, one of two daughters of Bertha Evelyn (Bryant) and Henry Willis Dye, was born on November 1, 1915 on a farm near Strahan, Iowa. She grew up on the farm and attended early school in Strahan. She later attended school in Malvern, Iowa and would ride the Wabash Railroad train the twelve miles each week to obtain a Normal certificate so she could teach school after graduating from high school. In Malvern, she lived with her grandparents, John and Mary G. (Snapp) Dye, who had retired to that community from the Macedonia, Iowa area.
After high school she taught in a one-room country school several miles north of Malvern until she married Robert Alston of Macedonia on December 21, 1935, in St Joseph, Missouri. Their marriage was blessed with five children, Thomas, Gilbert, Pat, Steven, and Cindy. Charlotte and Robert farmed near Macedonia, owning and operating a family dairy for several years. In 1952, they relocated the family to Arkansas and then Kansas for several years before retiring in the late 1970's to Brownsville, Texas. Charlotte and Robert had been married 64 years when Robert died on July 13, 1999. Charlotte was a homemaker and active in community activities during her life. She was a member of the United Methodist Church where she held several offices including UMW President many times, first in Macedonia and later in other Methodist churches. Charlotte passed away at the Reunion Plaza Senior Care and Rehabilitation Center in Texarkana, Texas on January 19, 2008, attaining the age of 92 years, 2 months and 18 days. She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband Robert and her only sibling, Josephine Lucile Salmons, who died in October of 2007 in Santa Clara, California. Charlotte is survived by her children, Dr. Thomas Alston and wife Jean of Texarkana, Texas, Gilbert Alston and wife Linda of Orland, California, Pat Thomas of Rainier, Washington, Dr. Steven Alston and wife Kay of Campbellsville, Kentucky, Cindy Crockett and husband Dave of Longmont, Colorado; thirteen grandchildren; several great grandchildren; brothers-in-law Willard Salmons of Santa Clara, California and Jack Walker of Tama, Iowa; other relatives and friends. | ||