Man known as 'Charlie' remembered as a gentleman, for his principles

JONES COUNTY — After praises and recollections of the man known to all simply as "Charlie," those filling Bethel Lutheran Church joined to sing the hymn "Here I Am Lord."

The last few words of the chorus provided an amen to the memorial service.

"I will hold your people in my heart."

Time and again, Charles Walter Stenholm was hailed as someone who truly cared about people — from those in his family to the people of his mostly rural congressional district. Even those in the other political party and others with opposing views stated it.

Fellow Democrats, Republicans, independents — whatever their ideology — all respected the congressman from West Texas, it was said.

Stenholm, who served in Congress from 1979 to 2004, died May 17 quietly at his home in Granbury. He was 84.

The date of his death was not lost on those gathered. The "cotton farmer from Stamford" represented the 17th Congressional District for 26 years.

Vehicles spilled into the wet grass at the church, which was Stenholm's home church even after he and his wife, Cindy, retired elsewhere. The Rev. Richard Strait, who officiated the memorial, said the Stenholms still attended, via streaming.

Saturday's memorial was streamed for those who could not make it to the church that is the only building in the Ericksdahl community skyline east of Stamford.

Stenholm was called a man of faith. A statement by former Baylor University president Herbert Reynolds was expressed.

Always, Reynolds once said, preach the gospel. If you have to, use words.

Stenholm, one speaker said, considered politics to be his ministry.

As the church bells tolled at 11 a.m., Strait said of the man who was baptized and confirmed at the historic church: "He's come home."

What Charlie meant to them

Those speaking about Charlie, as he was known here and across Washington, D.C., included family members, several former staffers from among a group of 43 who were seated together opposite the family, two retired congressmen and even the president of Tarleton State University.

He presented the family a framed Tarleton flag.

Stenholm in recent years had been adjunct professor at the campus, which is 30 miles west of Granbury.

Another speaker was new Taylor County Judge Phil Crowley, who offered condolences to those from Jones County and shared a personal story of meeting Stenholm as an admitted 16-year-old know-it-all on a visit to the nation's capital.

Stenholm, he said, set him straight on many of his beliefs but did so with respect to the teenager's viewpoints and encouraged him to stay interested in government.

Chris Stenholm, the eldest of three children, remembered his father taking his two boys to the Super Dog in Stamford, where he told them he would be running for Congress. They had no idea what that really meant but, he said, they were all for him.

He paused, then expressed his thanks to the people of the 17th for supporting his father for many years.

The accolades were many, but one was repeated. Stenholm was called a gentleman.

A message was read from Kent Hance, a "boll weevil" Democrat along with Stenholm back in the day. Hance said the definition of gentleman needs not words, only a picture of Stenholm.

"He was the best," Hance stated.

Former colleagues speaking in person Saturday were Jim Turner and Chet Edwards.

Turner said Stenholm did not believe in partisanship and bickering, two characteristics of political life today in Washington, D.C. Stenholm lamented that, and he would tell a group of retired congressmen when they talked that Congress instead should bring people together.

In office, he showed that by inviting a wide variety of Congress members to Jones County for a look-see at rural life.

One was Rep. Charles Rangel, who was born in Harlem. Rangel, Turner said, once broke into song, singing western classics such as "Home on the Range" while on the drive to a fund-raising event.

Asked where a New York City resident learned cowboy songs, Rangel said, "Broadway."

Getting to knew each other led to compromise, Turner said, and that's how Stenholm, whom he called a "solid fella" from West Texas, believed Congress should work.

Stenholm, too, believed in fiscal responsibility. When a giant clock ticking upward on the national debt was brought to his district, Stenholm arranged in Brownwood to have the high school band play. It was a reminder that the debt would be there for the young musicians to pay.

As an aside, Turner said the clock eventually ran out of numbers.

Stenholm was lauded as a man of integrity, vision, tenacity, humility and empathy.

Former Texas politician John Sharp, now chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, said of Stenholm, when he learned of the congressman's death, "We lost one of the greatest statesman in the state of Texas."

Family was first

It wasn't all about Charlie Stenholm as congressman.

Chris Stenholm said his dad died unexpectedly but peacefully. He had settled into his chair at home after a mile walk with his wife, holding a newspaper. He had turned on the TV "to some farm program. Go figure."

Cindy Stenholm believed he had dozed off. In a way, he had.

His death came three days after Mother's Day, when Chris last saw his father and had expressed his love for him.

Family members shared memories of dad.

The busy man who tried to make time for his children.

The man who loved each family member in a different way — Cary, for example, who stayed interested in ag and grandson Chandler, who has become quite the golfer.

The man who organized — perhaps over-organized — family competitions, be it golf, dominos, checkers or golf.

Courtney, who always knew she was her dad's favorite daughter, said Charlie — everyone Saturday referred to Stenholm as "Charlie" — enjoyed his "not-so-retirement years."

Grandson Cole called Stenholm an encourager. When he hit low points in his education journey, his grandfather would tell him how proud he was of the young man.

"He had a unique way of connecting with you," he said.

Stenholm was called a good grandfather. But, more importantly, he was a friend.

Staffers recall the boss

Matt Brockman, a Stenholm staffer, said the show of force by staffers is proof of the respect for the congressman.

They appreciated his encouragement when they were new to the job and the pace of life in Washington, D.C.

"I learned a lot, and I learned it fast," he said.

Stenholm involved his staff in discussions and believed sharing credit was paramount.

He can't recall Stenholm ever cursing even when he "shanked a few three-foot putts."

Brockman said Stenholm did not speak ill of other politicians, and he believed speaking the truth never caused a person to worry about what he had said.

Lois Auer, who worked for 21 years for Stenholm and retired in 1999 as his chief of staff, could not attend the memorial. But her memories were shared.

She previously worked for Congressman Omar Burleson and feared change in the 17th when he retired. Burleson left big shoes to fill.

However, Stenholm fit those shoes perfectly, she said, when he set up "Ericksdahl East" in the Longworth Building in Washington.

Brockman said the boss "was not afraid of backlash" and took time to answer his critics, often with handwritten notes.

Also speaking was five-year staffer Chino Chapa, a former editor of the Stamford American.

He said he wasn't broken in. His first week in Washington, Stenholm chose to oppose Tip O'Neil as speaker of the House.

There was laughing, too

The memorial was about respect and remembrance, but it was not without its lighter moments.

Grandfather Charlie for years called a grandson, who was determined to have perfect school attendance, at 6:45 a.m. each Thursday to wake him. He once had overslept on a Thursday. Granddad's first word? "Cock-a-doodle-do!"

Charlie wowed Japanese visitors to Washington with his boots.

He took son Chris to the congressional gym to "mess around" one Christmas. They were the only ones there until the Secret Service and, 24 minutes later, President George H.W. Bush and a few of his friends arrived.

Younger son Cary had declined to go but heard all about hanging out with the prez when the other two Stenholm boys returned home.

Stenholm once called his future son-in-law the worst golfer he'd ever seen after a round. Daniel, who married Courtney, might be the best golfer in the family, Chris Stenholm noted.

Chris Stenholm recalled hoeing cotton, driving a tractor and taking care of 1,000 or so pigs on the farm before the family moved to Washington, D.C. Cleaning up after pigs was a humbling experience.

One of his favorite memories was his father taking him on a Braniff jet to the nation's capital in 1974. They saw the famous sites, of course, but mostly importantly, dad took him to see the movie "Earthquake" in Sensurround.

Boy, did Chris have something to tell the kids back home.

Courtney Stenholm said her father was savvy with technology. Sort of. He was fond of using emojis in group texts, but, she said, his choice of characters was a mystery.

"We never knew what those meant," she said.

He'd type in a row of tractors, for example.

Tarleton's Hurley said Stenholm always made an appointment to see him and was not afraid to tell the university president how best to run the campus. Hurley offered his cellphone number, but Stenholm told him, "Mr. President, you don't want to do that."

They had fun with their differences, Stenholm, the Texas Tech grad, now associated with a school in the Texas A&M University System.

Stenholm accused Hurley of being a fine Democrat disguised as a Republican. In turn, Hurley said Stenholm was a great Republican who had been trapped in a Democratic district.

And perhaps not known to the masses, Stenholm took pride in washing the dishes, and/or putting them in the dishwasher. That was his way of contributing to a family meal, it was said. If someone offered to help, he'd stand his ground in the kitchen.

In conclusion ...

Edwards said his former colleague was most concerned about principle. He'd take a win, of course, but that was not what was most important.

"We need more people like Charlie" in government, Edwards said.

Turning back to Scripture, as Strait had done earlier, Edwards recalled the words of Apostle Paul to Timothy and the church — "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Edwards paused.

"Well done, Charlie."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Man known as 'Charlie' remembered as a gentleman, for his principles