CURRENT ADDRESS:
Charles Clark
127 Meadow Lane
Rose Bud AR 72137-9713
501.556.4916
When I left high school in 1956, I went to work for Helena Wholesale Dry Goods for
Alvin Solomon. I worked there for about a year and left to start work at Mohawk Rubber
company. I worked at Mohawk for about 4 years. Then around 1961 I went to work driving
trucks for Earl Gibbon Petroleum Transport out of Shreveport. They had a terminal in West
Helena. So I worked for them for about 4 years until Earl sold out to his brother, (or cousin, I'm
not sure which.) I went to work then for Gordon Potato Chip Company driving a truck. I
worked there only about six months when I got an offer to go to work for Philip Morris Tobacco
Company in Forest City. I worked there about 4 years. When I left Philip Morris, I moved back
to West Helena, and returned to Earl Gibbon. I continued there about a year.
In about 1970 I went to work for Bill Benton selling tires in Helena. I worked for them
about 2 years then went to Delta Tire and Rubber Company out of Memphis. I moved to West
Memphis and worked for Delta Tire in the Arkansas area.
A friend of mine from my church persuaded me to invest in Sonic Restaurants. I
purchased three restaurants in Pascagoula, Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I tried this for
about two years. However, I had so much difficulty finding people to work that I could not keep
up the business. The hours were much too long and the job too demanding for one person to do.
So I sold those interests - - - Lola Snyder and Charles Clark, May 1, 2005
and worked for
about two years for the Brown & Root Construction
Company, in Pascagoula, who were constructing a residium on an Exxon Mobile Refinery in
Pascagoula. I worked at that job for about three years. During that period, my wife and I went
through a divorce, so this was a tough time in my life. This was all happening about the time of
our 25th class reunion in 1981.
After I left Brown and Root I moved to Marianna. I remarried before moving up to
Arkansas, and my present wife, Freda, and I have been together now almost 25 years. We lived
in Marianna for several years. Freda and I operated an upholstery business next door to our home
there. I had learned the upholstering business from a friend in West Memphis while I was
working for Delta Tire. I already had all the equipment that I needed. We enjoyed the business
and made a living, but there was not much demand in the Marianna area.
One of my sons was in an auto accident about that time, and I took him up to West
Memphis to get a catscan. At the medical clinic, I saw an ad in a newspaper for Roadway
Express saying that they needed truck drivers. While he waited for his test I went over and
applied with Roadway. I got a call from them the next morning. I then drove trucks for
Roadway Express for the next 14 years. I really only needed 12 years for retirement with the
union. All my time with Earl Gibbon had counted toward my retirement. I retired in 1996. I
have really enjoyed being retired.
I have 3 children by my first wife. They are two sons, Fabian, Charles Clark, Jr., and my
daughter, Onna Lou. As I am writing this, Onna Lou has just graduated from the University of
Arkansas- Little Rock with a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. When she started at UALR
she interviewed for a scholarship which was awarded to her. I want to thank everyone at UALR
for all the help that was given to Onna Lou while she was in school.
I now have 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. So even though I've had some
difficult times in my life, and have had a lot of hard jobs to do, my life has been a good life. I
have worked hard all the time, taken care of myself and my family, and am very proud of my
children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I still hold my high school friends close to my heart and look forward to the reunion.