Charles Eugene Grube 1934-2005

 Charles Eugene Grube 1934 - 2005

Charles Eugene Grube seated holding Tom 

Allen Reed, Billy McGill, Charles Grube, Tom Reed about 1948.

Charles Eugene Grube (last name pronounced (Grew Bee) was the first born child on Beulah Heron Allen when she was first married to Francis Bernard Grube 1907-1973, nicknamed "Dynamite" Grube. This marriage existed for an undetermined time. Beulah Lived on Gadsden Street next to the rear fence of Logan Elementsry School in Columbia with Charles as he was always known. 

Charles was nine years older that I was so we had little interaction as peers but I remember Charles as a person that was a shy and very reserved person. Charles always seemed defensive for some reason but I always found him to to a kind and loving person beneath his somewhat grumpy outward appearance. I remember Charles built a bike for me out of scrap bicycle parts in the garage behind the big house on Gadsden Street. As we grew older I remember Charles to have always been the tinker and mechanic to anyone that knew him.  

When Charles grew to the age to be able to serve in the military he joined the US Air Force. I remember Charles married, I think, a lady named Lavon Freeman about that time. She lived on Academy Street in Columbia, SC. Charles sought and received a hardship discharge from the Air Force before his full enlistment time was over. 

In 1954 Charles lived with his mother at 1009 Maxcy Street in Columbia, SC.

I remember once Charles had a 1954 Mercury that was in need of a paint job. He came over to the house on Academy Street because there was a large oak shade tree in the back yard. He got a gallon of silver oil paint and Charles, Allen and myself sanded and brush painted the mercury on a very hot day. It was quite a feeling to see the silver paint dry to a super shiny finish. Charles loved drag racing so we went to the old drag strip in Elgin, SC. It was called Blaney at the time and the drag strip was known as the Blaney Drag Strip. On the way to the drag strip that night the SC Highway Patrol pulled us over. He was sitting off the road watching for speeders when we passed. Charles asked if he was doing anything wrong. The officer replied but he just wanted to know what that silver reflective streak that had just passed was. He got a laugh and Charles got some relief. Charles loved that Mercury.

Later in life Charles married Mary Patrica Chambers, also known as May.  

They lived in Peilon, SC