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 1922 - 2018 (96 years)
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| Name |
Charlie Roscoe Hennessee |
| Birth |
19 Jul 1922 |
Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Residence |
Address:
Charlie Hennessee
Rt. 1 Box 179, Athens,TN 37303
423.745.1137 |
| Military |
WW II Veteran [6] |
| Death |
4 Oct 2018 |
Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee [6] |
| Burial |
Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, McMinn County, Tennessee [6] |
| Person ID |
I1916 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
9 Oct 2018 |
| Father |
Harl Eugene Hennessee, b. 9 Dec 1892, Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee d. 23 Jul 1976, Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee (Age 83 years) |
| Mother |
Fannie Meldoria Vincent, b. 18 Dec 1893, Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee d. 15 Dec 1962, Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee (Age 68 years) |
| Marriage |
~1913 |
McMinn County, Tennessee [3, 4] |
| Residence (Family) |
1930 |
McMinn County, Tennessee [3] |
| Residence (Family) |
1940 |
McMinn County, Tennessee [2] |
| Photos
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 | The Homeplace...
Family home of Harl & Fannie Hennessee located in rural McMinn County, Tennessee and painted by their loving granddaughter, Charlotte Hennessee Davis |
 | Oak Grove Church & Cemetery
The old church was located in Riceville, McMinn County, Tennessee and has been since replaced with a new edifice. Its cemetery is still the burial site for:
Harl Eugene Hennessee (1892-1976) and wife
Fannie Meldora Vincent Hennessee (1893-1962)
Johnie William Hennessee (1916-2007) and wife
Rosa Lee Elkins Hennessee (1920-2008)
James Franklin Harrison (1916-2005) and wife
Ruby Alice Hennessee Harrison (1917-1961)
Arlen Lee Hennessee (1919-1988)
Noah Ross Hennessee (2005-2005) son of Allen & Odessa Hennessee
Painted by Charlotte Hennessee Davis... |
 | Harl & Fannie Hennessee
Harl Eugene Hennessee (1892-1976)
Fannie Meldoria Vincent Hennessee (1893-1962)
Photo taken circa 1960 in McMinn County, Tennessee and provided by their loving granddaughter, Charlotte Hennessee Davis |
| Family ID |
F722 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Charlie Roscoe Hennessee
Charlie Roscoe Hennessee was born in McMinn County, TN on July 19, 1922 at the old Hennessee home place located just across the field from Charlie's present home, which he purchased from his Dad. Charlie was working in a packing house in Chicago, Illinois when he received his draft papers to join Uncle Sam's Army. Charlie was in the Army Air Force, Private First Class, 2063rd Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation). He was a Quartermaster Automotive Equipment Operator.
Charlie met Betty Joan Frye when he owned and operated a restaurant in downtown Athens, Tennessee called the City Cafâe. They kept in touch after Charlie sold the restaurant and were married on November 26, 1955. For many years, Charlie and his dad trained and housed bird dogs for people all over the county. They also loved the sport of quail hunting too. Charlie worked at Carver's Chair Factory, farmed, drove a school bus for the McMinn County School System for many years, while measuring tobacco fields for ASCS office of McMinn County between his morning and afternoon runs. Charlie and Betty were custodians for Keith Memorial United Methodist Church and Oak Grove Baptist Church. Charlie retired from Mayfield's Dairy in 1988 after 10 years of service. Charlie and Betty have been faithful members of Oak Grove Baptist Church since their marriage in 1955. They held many positions in the church over the years. Charlie was so dedicated to Sunday School that he received his twenty-ninth consecutive perfect attendance year pin before missing when he had his open heart surgery.
Charlie has a very unique sense of humor and good personality. With Charlie's good sense of humor, there also came quite a few pranks. When his Poppie and Mommie, as they were called, raised so many strawberries and hired many pickers, Charlie loved to find the largest, juiciest strawberry in the patch. He would look for someone bent over and throw the berry at them. He would immediately act so busy picking as not to give away his mischievous deed. This usually wound up with someone else getting the returned vengeance berry thrown at them. Sometimes this would start a strawberry fight and this definitely meant that Poppie Hennessee was not around.
With seven children, Charlie said he had to take a head count to see if they were all in the car. He had to go back to church a few times when he left one, but would usually meet a church member bringing him/her home. Charlie and Betty raised tobacco and when it came time to sort the tobacco in the barn, Charlie would get an upset stomach from smelling it so long. Betty would take him soda crackers to snack on to help settle his stomach, but the children didn't know until years later that the crackers were not for them.
Charlie's children have had a few laughs at their dad, too. On a few occasions they enjoyed seeing him loose his footing and fall in the creek while working along the creek bank and crossing a foot log. Charlie wanted to show how he could ride Bob and Alan's little mini bike and it wound up on top of him dragging him in the grass, while he was still holding onto the handle bars.
end of biography [4]
- Charlie Roscoe Hennessee, World War II Veteran
Charlie Roscoe Hennessee was 20 years old when he received his draft papers inviting him to join Uncle Sam's Army. Charlie was sworn in at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia on October 15, 1942. He was sent to Miami Beach, Florida for basic training. Charlie said “Boy if this is what the army is like I have it made.” Needless to say, it wasn't that good very long, he spent ninety days there in a motel leased by the government to house the new recruits. Charlie was then sent to Lakeland, Florida for training to drive and handle trucks, then on to Camp Lee, Virginia for six weeks training on truck mechanics.
Charlie was then shipped to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey for departure overseas to Liverpool, England. Charlie spent eight months at Liverpool hauling bombs, machine guns, and troops during the bombing of Germany. Charlie was transferred to Plymouth, England and became part of the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Charlie said they went ashore the second day of the invasion, because the first day the English Channel was so jammed with traffic. Charlie was kept busy hauling ammo and other supplies to the front lines. After Normandy, Charlie became involved in the Battle of the Bulge hauling supplies to the front lines. Charlie said at one time they were under 21 straight nights of air raids. He said he was so tired and sleepy that when they sounded the sirens that the air raids were over, he had slept through the best siren. Only two men in his company were lost in the Battle of the Bulge.
Following the battle lines, Charlie was stationed in several German cities including Wiesbaden, Frankfort and Aacan. Charlie was being shipped to Japan when they got the word that the Japanese had surrendered. It was the Atomic Bomb that turned Charlie's destination from Japan to the USA. On the ship and seeing no land for 12 days, he returned to the US and was discharged on September 13, 1945 at Fort McPherson, Georgia with five bronze stars for five major battles along with other metals.
end of biography [4]
- Spotlight on Charlie Hennessee - He weathered storms of 'bullets and bombs' during famous WWII battles
Charlie Hennessee is the living embodiment of American history.
When he was 19 years old, Hennessee received his draft papers inviting him to join Uncle Sam's Army, which he went on to serve in the Army Air Forces - the military aviation service of the United States during and immediately after World War II, and the successor to the U.S. Army Air Corps and the direct predecessor of the U.S. Air Force.
Hennessee was sworn in on Oct. 15, 1942, in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. He was sent to Miami Beach, Florida, for his basic training, where he spent 90 days in a motel leased by the federal government to house new recruits.
He recalled, "Boy, if this is what the Army is like, I have it made. ... (But) needless to say, it wasn't that good very long."
Hennessee was then sent north to Lakeland, Florida, to train on driving and handling trucks. He moved on to Camp Lee in Virginia for six weeks of training on truck mechanics.
Hennessee made his final in-country stop at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey before departing overseas to Liverpool, England, where he served as a private first class in the 2063rd Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation) as an automotive equipment operator during World War II.
Hennessee spent eight months in Liverpool hauling bombs, machine guns and troops during the bombing of Germany. He was transferred to Plymouth, England, and became part of the famous Invasion of Normandy - the largest amphibious invasion in history - on June 6, 1944, on the northern coast of France.
Hennessee's company went ashore on the second day of the invasion because "the first day, the English Channel was so jammed with traffic."
He was responsible for hauling ammo and other supplies to the front lines of combat.
Following the Normandy invasion, Hennessee became involved in another of the most famed engagements of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge, which was the last major German offensive campaign in its western theater. He again hauled supplies to the front lines of conflict.
Hennessee's most memorable experience during the war was being pinned down by German forces for five straight days. He said there was "no way to correspond with other companies during this time when the Germans were so close we could hear them talking."
He also recalled his company being under 21 consecutive nights of air raids.
Hennessee said he "was so tired and sleepy that when they sounded the sirens that the air raids were over, he had slept through the best siren."
His company lost two men in the Battle of the Bulge.
Following these battles, Hennessee was stationed in several German cities, including Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Aachen.
As he was preparing to be deployed to Japan, Hennessee's company received word that the Japanese had surrendered. The atomic bombs unleashed by the U.S. military on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had changed Hennessee's destination from the Pacific Theater of Japan to the United States of America.
Traveling by ship and without seeing land for 12 days, Hennessee returned to the USA and was honorably discharged from service on Sept. 13, 1945, at Fort McPherson, Georgia, with five Bronze Stars for five major battles and a Silver Star, along with medals for Good Conduct, ETO Operations and six Overseas Service Stripes.
Hennessee's testimony today is that "he accepted Jesus before going to war and He was with him in the foxholes and through all the major battles, and He will be with you in all your storms of life, both here or abroad."
When asked by a veteran doctor what things he was exposed to during his years of service, Hennessee's answer was "bullets and bombs."
Among the lifelong lessons Hennessee took from his military service, he learned to "respect other people and pray through all situations, from foxholes to your ordinary daily lives.
Hennessee had a good relationship with his fellow soldiers. He was reunited with 15 members of his company at his 50-year reunion in Nashville.
At age 95, Hennessee still lives on the same Athens farm where he was raised. He and his wife, Betty Joan Frye Hennessee, have seven children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Hennessee retired from Mayfield Dairy. His experience in truck mechanics helped him throughout life working on farm machinery and his personal vehicles, as well as while he drove a bus for McMinn County Schools.
Hennessee is a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, where his faithful attendance earned him 29 consecutive Perfect Attendance pins before he was stricken with medical problems that prevented him from attending each Sunday.
end of article [5]
- Charlie Roscoe Hennessee, 96, of Athens, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, at his residence.
A native and lifelong resident of McMinn County, he was the son of the late Harl and Fannie Vincent Hennessee, and was preceded in death by his brothers and sisters, Arthur Hennessee, Arlen Hennessee, Johnnie Hennessee, Billy Hennessee, Ruby Harrison, Anna Norris, and Mattie Cate; and grandson, Noah Hennessee.
Charlie was a World War II veteran, having served in the Battle of the Bulge and the Normandy Invasion.
He retired from Mayfield’s, was an avid bird hunter, and was well known for training bird dogs.
He was the oldest living member of Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Betty Frye Hennessee of Athens; children, Glenn and Bonnie Hennessee of Niota, Sharon and Melvin Coleman of Athens, Bob and Lisa Hennessee of Athens, Alan and Tonya Hennessee of Athens, Janice and Marty Dobbs of Cleveland, Tracy Hennessee of Athens, and Mark Hennessee of Athens; grandchildren, Justin and Deah Hennessee, Tabitha Hennessee, Joshua and Jenny Hennessee, Sara Hennessee, Nathan Hennessee, Cody Dobbs, and Miranda Dobbs; and great-grandchildren, Cayden Hennessee, Aven Hennessee, Jacob Hennessee, and Isaac Hennessee.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at Oak Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Titus Snyder officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, great-grandson, and sons-in-law. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Ziegler Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oak Grove Building Fund, 1212 County Road 100, Athens, TN 37303. If you are unable to attend the visitation or service, sign the guest registry at www.zieglerfuneralhome.com Ziegler Funeral Home of Athens has been entrusted with the care of Charlie Roscoe Hennessee. [6]
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| Sources |
- [S48673] Charlie Roscoe Hennessee | 4 Nov 1990 | Telephone Interview.
- [S3625] "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4Z3-YN5 : accessed.
- [S3627] "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/SPHM-ZHS : accessed.
- [S3694] "Harl Eugene Hennessee and Fannie Meldoria Vincent Hennessee Family", compiled by Charlotte Hennessee Davis, and publish.
- [S11491] "Spotlight on Charlie Hennessee - He weathered storms of 'bullets and bombs' during famous WWII battles", http://www.dai.
- [S13228] "Charlie Roscoe Hennessee", Obituary, http://www.dailypostathenian.com/obituaries/article_748afaca-da19-5d50-8715-c307cf.
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