Charles New

Charles Willis New, 96, of Sweeny, passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, Veteran's Day. Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 28, 2015 at First United Methodist Church in Sweeny with the Revs. Nancy Cobb and John Price officiating. A reception will follow in Watts Hall.

Charles was born in Caldwell County, Texas, the son of a sharecropper, to W.K. and Ellen New. His mother, a schoolteacher, had a great desire for her sons to go to college, a desire facilitated by the family's move to San Marcos near the college, where they took in boarders. Charles graduated from San Marcos Teacher's College with both a B.A. and M.A. degree. Later he worked toward a doctorate at the University of Houston.

Upon graduating from college with a B.A. degree, Charles taught history at Aldine High School, when World War II intervened. He served from 1941-45 in the European Theatre, reaching the rank of Major as an Intelligence Officer with the 7th Armored Division under the command of General George Patton. He went ashore in the third wave at Normandy Utah Beach after D-Day, breached the Maginot Line in France, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He was part of the liberation of over 50 towns and villages, Verdun-Cologne, and a prison camp of Polish soldiers. Charles drove nightly into Aachen, Belgium, behind German lines during the campaign there and was the primary liaison for a French resistance unit engaged in disrupting German train transports. He participated in the occupation forces in Buchen, Germany and was in the first Allied unit to make physical contact with Russian forces coming from the East. General Charles DeGaulle personally presented him with the Croix de Guerre for service to France. Charles wrote the history of the 5th Armored Division during WWII for the men of the division.

Charles placed the highest value on family and education. He spent 37 years working in public and private education, moving to Sweeny in 1951. There he taught history, government, economics, and English, and is remembered by many of his students as "the best teacher I ever had". He served Sweeny ISD as Director of Curriculum and Personnel. Many football fans referred to him as "the man in the press box" for his announcing of games for a number of years. He has been widely known for his photography and public speaking.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife of 59 years, Mary Elizabeth Ferris New; a son, Charles Kenyon New; and a brother, Allen K. New and his wife, Inez.

Charles is survived by his wife, Clara Ann Moore Maples New; a daughter, Sylvia Elizabeth Berry and her husband, Andrew, of Lampasas; and two step-daughters, Donna Elaine Burney and her husband, Munger of Crawford, and Joan Cecile Atwood and her husband, Martin, of Houston. He is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Susan New of Denver, Colorado.
Survivors include three granddaughters, Kristin Elizabeth Goodman and her husband, Brandon of Austin; Shannin Lea Bates of Cedar Park; and Brittany Alyss Berry of Springdale, Arkansas. He is also survived by a step-grandson, Jared Greeno of San Francisco, and two step-granddaughters, Camille Renee Merck and her husband, Robbie of Missouri City and Lindsay Hannah Horton and her husband, JB of Fort Worth.

Charles is survived by niece, Patsy DeArza and husband, Regis and seven great-grandchildren: Shelbi Berry, Braden Joe Bates, Corbin Bates, Braxton Goodman, Hailey Merck, Colton Merck and Audrey Horton.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Scholarship Fund of First United Methodist Church or First Baptist Church of Sweeny.

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