CHARLES BENNETT

    CHARLES BENNETT was one of the respective citizens and prominent business men of Charlotte for a long term of years, having here been concerned with a large and important manufacturing enterprise and having been a number of years vice-president of the First National Bank. Mr. Bennett was born in Waterloo, Seneca County, New York, in October, 1838, and was there reared to the age of fourteen years, having in the meanwhile received good educational advantages. At the age noted he became a resident of the state of Ohio, whence he later removed to Livingston County, Michigan, where he remained a few years, then returning to Ohio and taking up his residence in the town of Fremont, where he was engaged in mechanical pursuits until the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion. He enlisted as a private in Company K, One Hundredth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served three years, at the expiration of which he received his honorable discharge, having made a record for faithful and valiant service. He was never severely wounded, but was captured, and was twice incarcerated in the notorious Libby prison, in the city of Richmond, Virginia. At the close of the war he returned to Fremont, Ohio, where, December 7, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Myers, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, being a daughter of Henry and Nancy Myers, who were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Ohio, being early settlers in Dayton and removing thence to a farm near Fremont, Sandusky county, where Mrs. Bennett was reared and educated, having been three years of age at the time of the removal. Her parents passed the closing of their lives in her home, in Charlotte, and both rest in the cemetery here. Mr. Bennett removed to Charlotte in 1869, taking up his residence at the place where his widow still maintains her home. He became associated with four others in the ownership and operation of a sash, door and blind factory, and the enterprise was finally expanded into a furniture manufactory, Mr. Bennett becoming the sole proprietor. He built up a large and prosperous business, which is still conducted, under the able management of his only son. Mr. Bennett was himself a skilled mechanic, and he directed his operations with consummate ability, so that success came to him as a natural sequence. He was a man of the highest integrity and of strong individuality and was a loyal and progressive citizen. He was one of the principal stockholders of the First National Bank, of which he served as vice president for a number of years. He was a stalwart Republican in his political allegiance, and was a member of the board of aldermen of the city at the time of his death, while he served one term as mayor, giving a conservative and businesslike administration of the municipal government. He was a member of the cemetery board for a number of years, and was affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was not formally identified with any religious organization, but had the deepest reverence for the spiritual verities as represented in the Christian religion  and was a regular attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, to whose support he contributed liberally, as did he also to their church organizations in Charlotte, standing ready at all times to aid a worthy cause or enterprise. the beautiful residence now occupied by his widow and children was erected by him and is one of the most attractive homes in the city. Mr. Bennett was summoned to the life eternal November 21, 1903, and the community felt the loss of one of its honored and valued citizens, while in the sacred precincts of the family circle, where his noble characteristics have shown forth in strongest relief, the loss was given only the measure of compensation which comes from close contact and affection and the aftermath of gracious memories. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett became the parents of two children: Alice N., who was born in Fremont, Ohio, is the widow of George Foote and now resides with her mother; George L., who was born in Charlotte, was here reared and educated and was associated in the management of his father's factory and business for twelve years prior to the latter's death, so that he is ably qualified to continue the enterprise, being numbered among the representative business men of his native city.