Charles Avery was born October 29, 1937, in Kellyville, Oklahoma, the second child in a family of two boys and two girls. He grew up in Kellyville and graduated from high school there in 1957. After graduation he moved to California where he found employment with a local winery and joined a church that was active in international mission work. He decided he wanted to become a potter and moved back to Kellyville in 1961 and began working for Frankoma Pottery in Sapulpa. He acquired a working knowledge of the hydraulic press and a basic understanding of the principles of electricity while with the company. During the time he was working there, he enrolled in Tulsa Vo-Tech and became certified in Sheet Metal and Machine Shop operations. Little did he know this training would lead him to play a role in the race to get a man on the moon. In 1965 he left Frankoma Pottery and went to work for Rockwell International in Tulsa. Most of the external components on the Saturn Rockets that took the astronauts to the moon were built in Tulsa. Charles and a small crew of Rockwell employees did the assembly of the service module for the Saturn V spacecraft that made the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. He stayed with Rockwell until he was laid off in 1970, but his time there may have influenced his later fascination with astronomy, leading to his nickname of “Jedi”.

After returning from a mission trip to Mexico in 1969 with the church in California that he was still affiliated with and appalled by the extreme corruption he had seen take place there, Charles told God he did not want to be a part of that religion any longer. His brother Bob whom God had called a year earlier introduced Charles to God’s truth. He soon started receiving the “Plain Truth” magazine along with other literature from the Worldwide Church of God and God began opening his mind. He was baptized on September 1, 1969.

One miracle Charles recalls occurred when he had taken an elderly friend to a meeting in downtown Tulsa. Charles was suffering from a bad back and was not able to help him get out of the car. He and his wife Natalie both prayed for God to intervene in the situation. Charles immediately felt a tap on his shoulder, two men were standing behind him and asked if they could help. The gentlemen got Mr. Cunningham out of the car but when Charles turned to thank them, they had disappeared. He and Natalie quickly realized that God had answered their prayers and sent his angels to help them.

Charles feels blessed to have been able to work with several youth in the Church over the years. His advice to young people is that they should pray and study God’s word every day and have love for one another.

Services are pending at this time.

Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral and Cremation Services, 35 S Main, Kellyville, OK 74039, 918-247-7373