Charles Stevens

Charles Henry Stevens of New Ulm, Texas passed away surrounded by his adoring family on January 11, 2022.

Family and friends are invited to come together to love, laugh, and remember at 2:00 PM on January 29th, 2022 at The Barnhill Center in downtown Brenham, Texas, 111 West Main Street, Brenham, TX 77833.

Charlie was born November 7, 1948, in Lake Charles, LA to Carl and Eunice Stevens. He was one of 9 kids and his siblings will tell you he was a rascal; full of life and a bit of mischief. Fortunately, he met Deborah Abrahams and Jesus in his teens, was saved by both, and never after strayed from either.  On August 30, 1969, he married Deborah and they had 52 years together; every day spent hand in hand.

Always a hard worker, Charlie put himself through college changing tires at a truck stop, mowing yards, and working in the shipyard. He would tell us how tough those days were and we believed him. However, we’ve also seen the photos of the motorcycles and corvettes he drove during those years. He earned a degree in Business from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA. After graduation he took his young family to Beaumont, TX, then to Midland, TX, and then on to the coal mines in Gillette, WY eventually relocating permanently back to Texas a few years later. He built a home and settled in Sealy, TX while working in Houston for Shell Oil Company for 38 years as a purchasing agent in Offshore Oil Exploration and Production. He continued in that field as an independent consultant throughout “retirement”. He often said, “work is good”.

Charlie was born with just two settings; full throttle and sleep. In his younger years, he and a brother went to the local motorcycle shop to test drive a new Cushman scooter. Unfamiliar with the centrifugal clutch they ran it through the board fence at the end of the lot, took off running, and never looked back. He never lost any of that spirit. As a boy, I remember stopping into the small motorcycle repair shop on the corner in downtown Sealy one Saturday morning where there was an old, loud, yellow dirt bike for sale. Dad had to ride it. The owner and I stood in the door and watched him tear out of sight. We could hear him rounding the blocks downtown and when he reappeared, he was ripping down the center of Main Street on the back wheel, his hair blown back, wearing a huge grin.

He was always busy, a man in constant motion; but never too busy to share his love of life, his talents, and treasure with those around him. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul and was always an active member of his local community and church, most recently the Greenvine Baptist Church in Burton, Texas.

Charlie was a “fixer” of all things. Occasionally even working on things that weren’t broken until they were. We loved that about him. He worked endlessly on cars, mowers, appliances, homes, and all the things that made life go around for us and those around him. He worked on a lot of hearts and lives as well, and people frequently and genuinely sought his counsel. He was conscientious, diligent, and meticulous and everything left his care in better shape than when it found him.

While he took life and the responsibilities of it seriously, he also loved to laugh and joke and tease. Always happy and optimistic, he recently grew more frustrated by the ever-increasing complexities of technology. He was still able to hang on to his good sense of humor and had recently changed all his passwords to these irritating tech devices to “darnthing123”. He was always a genuinely happy person. The kind of happiness that comes from a life well-lived, and in the knowledge of his salvation by grace through faith.

Charlie’s purpose and joy were found in the service of God, his family, and his community. Through his words and his life, he taught us the value of relationships, time, and hard work. He showed us how to give more than you take, and how to impact the world around us in a way that matters with actions and deeds that will echo through eternity. Always a shining example of what it meant to be a father, husband, grandparent, mentor, and friend; most of all he showed us how best to love and laugh, and for that and the time we had together, we are forever grateful.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Deborah; his children: Tammy Barbisch and husband Brett, and Christopher Stevens; grandchildren: Dillon and Jordan Barbisch, Avery Barbisch, Braden Barbisch, Casey Barbisch, and Keaton Barbisch. Also surviving are his siblings and their spouses: Carolyn Conley, Barbara Murray, Larry Stevens, Beverly Stevens, Sheila Francis and husband Mike, Rodney Keith Stevens and wife, Margaret, Susan Galosi and husband, Matt, and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Charles is preceded by his parents, and his brothers, Carl and Glynn.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 W Main St., Brenham, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Charlie’s favorite organization, Texas Right to Life.