Charles Andrew Calton was born near Linn Creek, Camden county, Missouri in February of 1900.  He was raised around this community and spent some time when he was a young man in the Caddo county area of Oklahoma, but returned to Camden county where he met and married Ada McCasland in 1925.  He was the father of 14 children, 13 of whom lived to adulthood.  He often told stories about his early life on the river and I'd like to relate some of those here.
    He said he went to Gravois Mills, which would have been about twenty miles from where he was residing at the time, to purchase his wedding suit. Apparently there are no wedding pictures of him and Ada. He never did say if he walked or rode a horse, but either way it was quite a trip in those early days of life in the Ozarks.
    He also told stories about attending Rockdale Church in Camden county.  He told of a "dinner on the ground" that was held there after Church one Sunday.  It seems that the dinner was all laid out on makeshift tables and everyone was preparing to enjoy the feast when a cat that was being chased by some hound dogs suddenly appeared on the scene.  The cat immediately jumped upon the table, followed by the dogs, and proceded to run the complete lenght of it, completely ruining all the food the women had carefully prepared.  Everyone went home hungry that day.
    Charlie farmed and purchased a large farm near Barnett, Missouri which he retained until his death in 1995.  He worked at a lime crusher and also for the railroad for a time.  He cut wood, ties, posts and did other odd jobs in order to provide a living for his family.  He also dug graves by hand around Morgan county for many years.
    Charlie always aspired to be a minister, but never achieved this goal; however he would render his version of the telling of the Bible to any and all that would listen.  He was an avid talker and would entertain anyone that would listen for hours on end with his coon hunting, growing up, and jokes (that often weren't told exactly as he had heard them).  Whenever people would come to visit either the cemeteries where he was working or the small Big Rock cemetery that was located near his home Charlie would immediately make friends with any and all visitors.
 

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