Desert Messenger

April 4, 2018 www.DesertMessenger.com 21 • Birth • Obituary • Anniversary Place it FREE in the: Desert Messenger! 928-916-4235 Got something to share? UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE VFW VFW Post 769 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 305 N. Central, Quartzsite, AZ, 928-927-7697 VFW Members & Guests are encouraged to join us for these activities EVERY MORNING: Breakfast 8 am to 10 am. Biscuits and gravy -- $3.00/2 bis- cuits; $2.50/1 biscuit; eggs and sausage $3.50 Donation – members and guests. (Possibly more options added later during season) NO BREAKFAST will be served on VFW and Auxiliary meeting days (2nd Saturday each month). WEDNESDAY MORNING BREAKFAST is Spanish omelets, Chicken Fried Steak and eggs. MONDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS – LUNCH 11:30 am – 2:00 pm EVERY WEDNESDAY MEAT DRAW 2:30-4:30 pm Join us for live music on the Canteen Patio and Chicken Fried Steak dinner 4:40-6pm -- $9.00 donation for the dinner. 50/50 drawing. EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT IS $1.00 TACO NIGHT 4:00-7:00 pm Tacos, Taco Salads, more. Live music on Canteen Patio 50/50 drawing. EVERY FRIDAY – FISH NIGHT – 4:00-7:00 pm – donation $9.00 -Join us – 3:00 pm on the Patio for LIVE MUSIC. 50/50 Drawing. EVERY SATURDAY – ACE OF SPADES GAME 4:00 TO 6:00. Drawing at 6pm. Special Dinner will be served (TBA) beginning at 6:00pm 50/50 drawing. EVERY SUNDAY – BAR BINGO – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm WIN Prizes. First card free. Spaghetti Feed 3:00-6:00 pm. $5.00 donation SATURDAY, April 7 ~ POST 760 ANNIVERSARY PARTY~11am to ? Tri-Tip BBQ, with beans, potato salad, coleslaw and rolls with lots of cake. ClassAct Band, from Bullhead City, 3pm - 7pm. OPEN TO PUBLIC. SEE SEPARATE AD SATURDAY, APRIL 14, Comrades and Auxiliary Meetings SUNDAY April 22, District Meeting . Check at the Post or on the VFW Post 769 web site for information on additional activities being planned. www.vfwpost769.org Comrades meet –2nd Saturday each month –10:00 a.m. at Post Auxiliary meets – 2nd Saturday in the dining room area at 10:00 a.m. NOTE: VFW Auxiliary is collecting coupons you may have that you won't use. These go to the military families who can use them up to 6 months after expiration. Please help us in this endeavor to assist our Veterans. Coupons can be left at Post, Mt. Quail Restaurant, General Store, Community Thrift Store, or Lutheran Church. We are also collecting labels for the school and National Home for Children. You can leave items at same locations as coupons. In Memoriam CHARLIE CORNELIUS Charlie Cornelius was born December 19, 1927 in Slim, Oklahoma. He died March 21, 2018 in Yakima, Washington. He is survived by his widow, Sami (nee Kukulka), seven children: Sally, James, Billy, Tina, Michael, Kenny and Gina, one step-daughter Tasha and his "Arizona Daughter" Conra Marsh. Charlie lived an interesting and varied life. He picked cotton as a teen before he left home to work in the Texas oil fi elds. He served in the Navy during World War II. At one point during a storm he was swept overboard. He infl ated his pants to use as a life preserver and fl oated for several hours before being picked up by the Shore Patrol. Almost immediately he was picked up again- for being AWOL! This was soon sorted out but it made for fun- ny stories in his later years. Charlie was active in rodeo and in 1948 in Montana he won "All-around Cowboy." He worked on the pipeline in Alaska and it was there that he met Sami. The pipeline company brought in entertainment for the workers who were so far away from civilization. Sami was part of the New York Show Entertainment and she and Charlie fell in love. His many friends often called them the "New York Show Girl and the Cowboy." They were married for 40 years. Charlie worked as an Operating En- gineer for Washington State and was a member of the Operating Engineers Union for 55 years. Often, when driv- ing down the state highways he would say, "I built that road." After retiring he and Sami came to Quartzsite in 2002. They lived fi rst in Desert Gardens and then moved to Desert Gold in Brenda. Sami and Charlie ran some of the music shows and took part in many jams. His favorite songs were "Walking the Floor Over You" and "Waltz Across Texas". He and Sami sang duets and recorded CDs. At one time, he had his own band, "Charlie Cornelius and The Wentz Valley Boys" and had owned a bar in Yakima, Washington. Friends remember his charisma and "stage presence." He wowed the audi- ence and was known for his cheerful "Howdy". Even at his 90th birthday party he was a favorite of the ladies, kissing their hands and fl attering them. He said, "If I can win over the women, the men will follow." He was "roasted" in 2013 by Conra Marsh to the delight of his many friends and fans. He attended the Eph- rata, Washington jams for many years and was there the summer of 2017. His health declined and he died March 21, 2018. Funeral services were held March 28 at 10 am in the Langevin El Paraiso Funeral Home in Yakima, Washington. Cards and remembrances can be sent to his widow at 1219 South 16th Ave. Ya- kima, Washington 98903.

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