Fort Worth Star Telegram, Obituaries; Friday, May 19, 2006

Charles C. Harpool

Fort Worth ? Charles C. Harpool left his home and those he loved on earth Thursday, May 18, 2006 to be with the Lord and live ?in that city not made with hands.?

Graveside service: 3 p.m. Friday in Frankford Cemetery, Dallas (Plano, southwest Collin County, Texas).

Mr. Harpool was born Sept 14, 1912, in Hebron (Texas). His farther died when Charles was 8 years old and his mother died when he was 12 years old. He lived with his grandmother until he died. He was 14 years old. He made his way by himself, working such jobs as cleaning the school rooms and building fires in the wood stove in order to graduate from high school. He work for a small telephone company and was fortunate to be working there when the change was made from crank phones to dial (rotary) phones. He was selected to go to Chicago, Ill. to the World?s Fair, in 1933, to demonstrate the dial system to the public.

He came to Oklahoma in 1934, with a new wife, a Model A Ford, a few possessions and $34 in his pocket. He went to work in the oil fields, for Blackwell Oil and Gas, for 40 cents an hour. After about six months, he went to work for Travis Oil Company, as a roughneck. In 1935, a block fell out of a derrick and hit him on the head and shoulders, pulling the ulna nerve from the brain stem and leaving him with a damaged left hand and arm. He was left-handed and had to learn to write with his right hand. The company was good to hem and let hem work, advancing up the ladder until he was made field superintendent of three states in 1938. He remained with Travis Oil and Gas through the war, and helped them completely liquidate their business in 1945.

Charles had always wanted to have his own business, and in 1943, with the full knowledge of Travis Oil Company, he began to assemble his own company, and when the liquidation of Travis Oil Company was complete, he was ready with his own company, Harpool Tank Trucks, and began a long and very successful business of his own.

His wife passed away in 1971, and he liquidated his business assets about a year later. For the next 10 years or so, he traveled extensively, making five trips around the world, seeing the things he had heard and read about. He married his present wife, Janae, in 1980, and together they continued to travel and share common interests.

Charles was a member of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. He became interested in The Christian Camp and served on the board for 18 year. The Christian Camp remained close to his heart for the remainder of his life. One of his greatest joys was being named Layman of the Year in the Christian Churches of Oklahoma in 1971. He was a 50-year member of Scottish Rite and member of India Shrine. He as especially interested in the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children and helped raise funds to maintain their programs. He was a member of Order of the Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Grand Patron in 1973. He served on the finance board of Order of the Eastern Star for 12 years, helping to make the order financially secure. He serve the General Grand Chapter of Order of the Eastern Star for three terms, once as fund raiser for the Shriners Hospital and twice as Deputy and Ambassador to the United Grand Chapter of Australia, appointments that helped him serve his fellow man. He was also a member of the White Shrine of Jerusalem.

Charles was an avid supporter of the Oklahoma University football program. He was a longtime donor to the program and a season ticket holder since 1939. He has missed only eight O.U.-Texas games since 1933.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Jennie Harpool of Hebron (Texas); sisters, Sue White of Dallas and Jackie Huffhines of Plano; his maternal and paternal grandparents; stepson, Richard Anderson; and his wife, Allene Robinson Harpool, in 1971.

Survivors: His wife of the home; his son, Donald Charles Harpool and his wife Pinky, of Las Vegas, Nev.; stepsons and their wives, John and Meg Anderson, Mike and Marty Anderson, Allen and Leslie Anderson, all of the Dallas area; many grandchildren and great-grand-children; some cousins in the Denton area; and as he remained active in the business world and fraternal organizations, he leaves many, many close friends and acquaintances.

Sparkman-Dickey Funeral Home
Dallas (972) 407-6070
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