Obituary Record

Rev. Charles R. Giles, 74, died at 7:25 p.m., Tuesday, October 22, at Memorial Hospital, Slidell, La. Born March 11, 1900, in Slidell, he was pastor of Holmes Chapel United Methodist Church, Pearlington.

Rev. Giles is survived by his wife, Mrs. Arnette Giles; three daughters, Mrs. Shirley Torregano, Mrs. Myrtle Terrel and Miss Faye Giles, all of Pearlington; three sons, Eugene M. Giles, Charles Giles III, New Orleans, and Kenneth Giles, Pearlington; two foster daughters, Mrs. Mary Sams and Mrs. Ernestine Peters, Pearlington; two foster sons, Leonard Peters, Los Angeles, Calif., and Stanley Thomas; a sister, Mrs. Valerie Daniels, Oakland, Calif.; 24grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holmes Chapel with the Rev. C. E. Appleberry, District Superintendent Gulfside District, officiating. Interment was in Pearlington Cemetery with ministers of the Mississippi Conference serving as pallbearers. Imperial Funeral Home, Bay St. Louis, was in charge of arrangements.

Reverend Giles, as he was affectionately known to his parishioners and hundreds of friends, served as pastor for nine years jointly at the Bay St. Louis Valena C. Jones Church and St. Rock's in Waveland, and during his many years in the ministry preached for five years at Haven Chapel in Gulfport, two years in Lucedale as well as in many other churches. After completing his early education in Slidell, La., he attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, spent four years in theological study at Gulfside in Waveland and took refresher courses each year at the Lake Junaluska Seminary in North Carolina. Rev. Giles was a member of Lodge 4004 of the Grand Order of Odd Fellows, the League of Churches, The Fellowship of Churches, The Emergency Relief Fund of the United Way of Hancock County and the American Association of Retired Persons.

Stricken with Osteomyelitis at the age of 34 and badly crippled from arthritis, in later years Rev. Giles was a model of patience and endurance. His impressive sermons will long be remembered, as well as his ability to create love, harmony and fellowship among his parishioners and friends. Reverend and Mrs. Giles made national headlines in 1971 when they traveled to Washington, D.C. along with Mayor Warren Carver and leaders of the community. The occasion was the selection of Mrs. Giles as the nation's top volunteer, honoring her for her work with retarded, handicapped and abandoned children. During the 53 years of their marriage the Giles took more than 40 unwanted children into their home. Rev. Giles was a father to all of these children, and in most cases, he was the only father the children ever knew. Although most of the children spent some part of their growing up years with the Giles, two were legally adopted and two spent their entire lifetime under their care.

A leader in both civic and religious affairs for many years, Rev. Giles was much respected in the communities of Hancock County as a self-effacing and humble person. Perhaps his greatest tribute came from his wife as she received recognition as the Volunteer of the Year in Washington. She said, "I could not have possibly done it without him. He was the source of my strength and faith".

Source: unknown newspaper