Charles L. Daniels, Sr., went home to be with the Lord on August 1, 2005, at the age of 97 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Funeral services will be held at 2 P.M. Saturday, August 6, 2005 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Irwin County with Rev. Mark Swain officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 7:00 until 9:00, Friday evening at the funeral home in Ocilla.
Mr. Daniels was born November 9, 1907, one of ten children, to the late Thomas William and Mattie Arnold Daniels, of the Bethlehem community in Irwin County. He attended schools in Irwin County and graduated in 1928 from Georgia Normal Business College in Douglas, Georgia. He was employed with Harris Department Store in Ocilla and later his ties with Chevrolet began as he was employed by dealers in Ocilla, Tifton and Bradenton, FL. Mr. Daniels work with Chevrolet was well noted and brought him and his family to Birmingham, AL to work with the Chevrolet Motor Division Zone office to install the General Motors Standard Accounting System at dealers in Alabama and several surrounding states. He later was employed by Wood Chevrolet Company in Birmingham, AL as treasurer and worked at several other companies owned by Mr. Wood until his retirement. His many contributions on the subject of Automotive dealer accounting resulted to his being listed in “Who’s Who in Alabama” and “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”, both in the United States and their World Editions. Mr. Daniels was a former member, deacon, Sunday school teacher and treasurer of Norwood Baptist Church in Alabama. He was named Layman of the year in 1967 by the Birmingham Post Herald. He performed many of the same functions while a member of Crestway Baptist Church. At his death he was a Deacon Emeritus. He had a passion for growing Camellias and sharing their beauty with family and friends. Mr. Daniels was a member and former treasurer of the Birmingham Camellia Society and won many awards for his prize wining Camellias.
Mr. Daniels is survived by a daughter, Virginia D. Sartain of Birmingham, AL; son, Charles L. (Juanita) Daniels, Jr. of Helena, AL; two grandsons: Larry (Sarah) Sartain of Palham, AL and Jeff (Robbie) Daniels of Birmingham, AL; three granddaughters: Susan (Rick) Elder of Pinson, AL, Nancy (Gary) Gray of Bear, DE, and Rebecca (William) McCoy of Warrior, AL; nine great-grandchildren: Chris Sartain, Justin (Melissa) Elder, Taylor Alexander, Jacob Alexander, Ryan Elder, Grant Allen, Luke Sartain, Andrew Daniels, and Makenzie Daniels; two brothers: Leon (Ruth) Daniels of Birmingham, AL and H.M. (Annie Jim) Daniels of Fitzgerald; three sisters: Lorena (Edward) Bryant and Inez Wheeler, both of Ocilla as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Edna Harper Daniels, three brothers, Cleo Daniels, Emmett Daniels and Ira “Dan” Daniels; and two sisters: Agnes Hobbs and Leona Tucker.