Charlie J. Henry, 100, passed away December 8, 2025, in Brownwood, Tx. A visitation for Charlie will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 14, 2025, at Blaylock Funeral Home in San Saba, Tx. A funeral service will take place 2:00 p.m. Monday, December 15, 2025, at Blaylock Funeral Home in San Saba, Tx. and will be officiated by Pastor Sam Crosby. Interment will be at San Saba City Cemetery immediately after the funeral service.
Charlie Juneve Karnes Henry was born on June 7, 1925, in San Saba, Tx. to Cleve and Mattie Taff Karnes. She was the ninth of twelve children. With six older sisters, two older brothers and three younger sisters, there wasn’t much peace and quiet in their house. She attended public school in San Saba until the tenth grade, when smitten by love, she left school to marry Russell Grimes on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1942. Two years later, their son Robert Allen was born to be followed in four years by a daughter, Patricia Ann.
In December of 1959, at age 33, Charlie became a widow when her husband Russell passed away. With two children, and no formal education, she took a job as a clerk in a local hardware store, Hartleys, but after a few years there, the lady next door offered her a position as an alteration lady in her ladies’ store, The Style Center. As an excellent seamstress, this job utilized her natural ability, as was tailor made for her. During this time, a second chance for love and happiness came into her life. Charles Gordon Henry was a good Christian man who loved her and her two children. They were married on December 5, 1963. Soon after, Harry Shapiro offered her a clerk position in Harry’s Fabric Store. This job not only appealed to her love for sewing but also provided more contact and interaction with customers. She would remain there until her retirement in 1980. Upon Gordon’s retirement, they purchased an RV and traveled with other couples from their church to many fun and interesting places. When at home, they spent many weekends playing “eighty-four” and enjoying delicious homemade food with this group of friends.
Then in 2006, Gordon was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which began many trips for treatment, including surgeries and chemotherapy. In 2008 he lost that battle, and she would begin the last leg of this earthly journey alone, like so many of her friends from their group who had also buried their husbands, Willie Mae Locker, Nelleva Golding, Bebe Bagley, and Dot Wall. She remained in their home in San Saba until she turned ninety, and then in true Charlie fashion, decided on her own, that she was ready for assisted living.
In 2015, she moved to the Chatfield in Brownwood, where her daughter and family lived. She spent seven years there making new friends and losing some of them as well, but time marches on, and as her body and bones aged, she could no longer walk, requiring being confined to a wheelchair and necessitating a move to a full nursing facility, Oak Ridge Nursing Home. There she was blessed with some truly remarkable caregivers, individuals who more than saw to her needs, they truly cared for her. At the risk, always, of omitting someone, three must be mentioned, CNA’s Haley Eisenhauer, and Laura Rodriguez, and R.N. Ronelle Bruaw, so many others and immense gratitude to all from her family.
Charlie is survived by her son, Robert Grimes and wife Barbara; her daughter Patricia Osbourn and husband Pierre; grandchildren Reagan Grimes and wife Kayshia, Ricci Jones and husband Steve, Russell Osbourn and wife Sheena, Sarah Bowen and husband Aaron; ten great grandchildren, Reese Grimes, Rance Siler, Bryan Osbourn, Jillian Sapp, Meridith Brooke Osbourn, Eli Osbourn, Sydney Jones, Tyler Osbourn, Gordon Bowen, and Reid Jones.
She is preceded in death by her parents Cleve and Mattie Karnes; husbands Russell Grimes and Gordon Henry; brothers, Wilba Karnes and Joe Karnes; and nine sisters, Cleo Gunter, Gladys Allison, Clyde Sellman, Freda Pruitt, Mitchell Berry, Nora Ray Hector, Jaunice Davidson, Geraldine Humphreys, and Imogene Busley.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Blaylock Funeral Home. Online condolences can be made at www.blaylockfuneralhome.com