Charles L. Ele

Charles L. "Charlie" Ele, 83, of Parsons, died at 7:45 p.m., Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Labette Health in Parsons. He was born December 12, 1930, near Dearing, Kansas, to Charles O. and Donna Muriel (Born) Ele. He grew up in the Dearing area where he attended Jefferson and Dobson country schools and was a graduate of Coffeyville High School. Following high school, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge, he lived in the Independence area until moving to Parsons in 1966 where he had lived since. He worked for LaForge and Budd Construction Company for 27 ½ years before retiring in 1992. As a young boy, he attended the Methodist church. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed fishing and deer hunting and was known as "Catfish" to many of his friends. He and Mary Jane Wiley were married June 24, 1958. They later divorced. Survivors include one son, Gene Ele and his wife, Tracy, of Parsons, KS; two daughters, Robin Hall and her husband, Bill, of Parsons, KS, and Tammy Brown and her husband, James, of Mound Valley, KS; seven grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Mike Ele, on February 1, 1998; one sister, and one brother. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 9, 2014 at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons with military honors given by Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars. The family will receive friends from 5-6:00 p.m., Sunday, at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles L. Ele, please visit our flower store.