Carlos "Charles" Macias

In Memory Of
Charles Macias

Carlos Macias, also known as Charles, Chuck, Charlie or even Weto, died Friday, December 23, 2011, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln at the age of 82 years, 5 months and 8 days. He was born at West Nebraska Methodist Episcopal Hospital at 1801 Broadway in Scottsbluff, Nebraska on July 15, 1929, (one of the last children born in that hospital that were living at the 75th anniversary of the hospital) to Isabel (Rodriguez) and Frank Macias, the oldest of seven children. He was followed by two brothers who expired shortly after birth. Later four sisters joined the family Frances, Virginia, Theresa and Julia. He was a very large baby so consequently he received severe birth injuries. The delivery doctor, Dr. Dunham, felt so bad that he offered to buy him stating that he worried that Charlie's parents might not be able to care for him. But he surprised everyone and grew up to have a full life with many wonderful experiences. He attended Trail and Haig Country Schools in Scotts Bluff County. He also attended Scottsbluff High School and Evans School for the Blind in Denver, Colorado. While in Denver he lived with his maternal grandmother who was a member of the Denver Italian Mafia. One event that always stood out in his memory was his grandmother exchanging a Prince Albert can full of "stuff" and $5 for a puppy for him. The code word was "stuff". From then on all of his pet dogs were always named "stuffy".
At the age of seventeen, he had a brief marriage which was annulled. Five years later he met a student nurse by the name of Josephine Sapien of Hillrose, CO. They were secretly married on March 24, 1951 in Littleton, CO and kept their marriage secret for six months as student nurses were not allowed to be married while in training. To this marriage three daughters were born, Carla Jo , Victoria Ann, and Dolores Jean.
Charlie loved music particularly jazz. He could recite volumes of Jazz history, its musicians what "ax" - instrument - they played and what songs they wrote and what made them famous. He was a personal friend of Preston Love. Charlie was often asked to lecture music students about jazz music but always refused, stating he was not equipped to teach. When his two older daughters were in college at the same time, he formed three bands. He had always played in bands for pleasure, but now he had to play jazz to meet college expenses for his daughters. Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he, Josie and Dee packed their camper and toured eastern Wyoming, northeast Colorado and western Nebraska playing dances. Charlie loved to camp and fish and he and his family had many memories of their trips. People often ask who was the little boy in the family pictures. He is Michael Carlos Macias, a nephew, whose mother Julie died and left him in Charlie's care. Charlie was a member of the Guadalupe Church, Eagles Club, Sons of the American Legion, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and a Buffalo Organization in Scottsbluff, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Friend, National Federation of Musicians and the AFL CIO Amalgamated Butchers Union. Charles was an employee of Swift & Co for more than 30 years. He and Josie also ran the McGrew Lounge in McGrew, NE, retiring again, and then went back to work as a janitor for Beverly Enterprises for the next 12 years. After his health began to fail, Charlie and Josie moved to Friend where he could be closer to his daughter, Dee and health facilities.
His greatest disappointment was that his great-grandmother had sealed the birth records of his father and he was never able to learn his German heritage.
Charlie loved to dance, was a very good dancer and early in his marriage to Josie, they often traveled to Denver to dance to the big bands. As a home town boy, the local girls always lined up for a chance to dance with him. But after marriage, dancing was short lived as a couple of times, he forgot he had Josie with him until he looked for her to dance with. She had gone home and was sound asleep when he got home. Needless to say, he put away his dancing shoes.

He is survived by wife, Josephine, Friend, daughters and son-in-law, Carla Hubbard, Scottsbluff and Vicki & Jesus Solis, Albuquerque, NM, son-in-law, Bruce Vossler, five grandchildren, Brandyn Sauer, Tony and Patrick Vossler, Brian and Corey Uhlenbrock, Maddie O'Brient, six great-grandchildren, Karmyn Hauger, Cody, Keith, Corey, Mia and Marley Uhlenbrock, sister, Frances Gartner, Denver, Co, brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, William and Miranda Sapien, Virginia Sapien, all of Albuquerque, NM, numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by parents, Frank and Isabel Macias, daughter, Dee Vossler, Oct 1, 2011, two infant sibling brothers, sisters, Virginia Hernandez, Theresa Medina, and Julia Macias, half-brother, Walt Trout, brother-in-law, Phillip Sapien, parents-in-law, Andy and Tillie Sapien.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Friend, with Fr. David Bourek officiating. Cremation, no visitation. Memorials to St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial of Ashes will be at a later date in Sunset Memorial Park, Scottsbluff.