Charles Telphord St.Clair

Charles “Charlie” St. Clair, 65, of Dell Rapids passed away Thursday, July 12, 2007 tragically in an ultralight airplane accident. Funeral services will begin at 10:00 AM Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, rural Chester. Visitation will begin at 3:00 PM with the family present from 6 to 8:00 PM on Monday at Minnehaha Funeral Home in Dell Rapids.

Charles Teflord was born May 3, 1942 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to parents Walter and Edith (Hanks) St. Clair where he was raised and received his education.

Charles married Annette Fodness August 10, 1963 and the union was blessed with two children, Shane and Ranae. Charlie liked working with his hands and was a talented woodworker and carpenter. He was employed at Greenley Meat Packing Plant, a partner in Four Square Construction, owned Charlie St. Clair Construction, and worked for Portrait Homes Construction in Corona, California.

Charlie was enthusiastic about life. He loved spending time with family and friends. He enjoyed flying, sailing, fishing, cooking, photography, traveling, and was well versed in story telling. He was well known for flying after work and was affectionately nicknamed “Five O’clock Charlie.” Charlie would often take aerial pictures of area farms and acreages then give them to the residents. He was able to meet many new friends this way.

Grateful for having shared his life are his son, Shane (Kimberly) St. Clair, De Smet, SD; daughter, Ranae (Grant) Williams, Maple Grove, MN; grandchildren, Jordan and Andrew St. Clair; Aria Williams; Kristine and Brady Anderson; parents, Walt and Edith St. Clair, Dell Rapids, SD; brother, Doug St. Clair, Hartford, SD; sister, Judy St. Clair, Corpus Christi, TX; uncle, Jim (Edith) St. Clair, Sioux Falls, SD; former wife, Annette St. Clair, Chester, SD; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Charlie was preceded in death by his grandparents and a
sister, Barbara “Bobbi” Sievers.

One of Charlie's favorite pieces of advice was "Keep one eye towards the sky."