Obit – Mr. Charles E. Duke
Mr. Charles E. Duke age 98 of Pikeville, a World War II veteran, died Saturday evening June 15, 2024 at 9:35 p.m. at the Lifecare Center Hickory Woods in Antioch. He was pronounced deceased at 9:35 p.m.
Longtime family friend, Eld. Gayle Snoddy will officiate at the Thursday morning June 20th 11 a.m. funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Duke Family lot at the Gene Butler Cemetery in the Brooks Bend Community of Jackson County.
Mr. Duke was born Charles Edward Duke in Brooks Bend on December 5, 1925 and was one of four children, a son and three daughters, and the last surviving child of the late World War I veteran Lester D. Duke who died October 31, 1956 at the age of 44 and Mary Jane Thomas Duke who died December 13, 1997 at the age of 97.
The three sisters preceding him in death were Rebecca Lois “Reba” Duke Adamski who died September 1, 2012 at the age of 91, Sue Eleanor Duke Frye who died August 3, 2013 at the age of 90 and Jane Katherine “Kathy” Duke Skidmore who died November 26, 2020 at the age of 89.
Mr. Duke was a 1943 graduate of Baxter Seminary.
In Jamestown, Kentucky on June 5, 1947, he was united in marriage to Baxter native, the former Carleen Texas Maddux Duke. She preceded him in death on September 24, 2020 at the age of 89 following over seventy three years of marriage.
Mr. Duke was a member of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
He retired in 1995 from the Murray-Ohio Corporate offices in Brentwood as an engineer, a position he held for almost twenty years.
He proudly served our country with the United States Army as an infantryman and of his one year, ten months, and 28 days of service, and for one year, three months, and 22 days he served in Saudi Arabia based at the Dhahran Airport. He was a light mortar crewman.
Mr. Duke was inducted into the United States Army at Camp Forrest, Tennessee on August 4, 1944 and was honorably discharged with the rank of Private First Class in Saudi Arabia.
For his unwavering service he was awarded the Eastern Europe Theater Ribbon, a Combat Infantry Badge, a Good Conduct Medal, a World War II Victory Medal and a Central Europe Bronze Service Star.
Surviving is his daughter, Sharon Duke Edwards of Nashville, a granddaughter, Rachel Edwards also of Nashville; a grandson, Scott Edwards and wife Shanna of Dothan, Alabama.
The Duke family has requested memorials to the Middle Tennessee Boxer Rescue, an animal rescue organization.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
