Charles E. Stilwell, 97 of Oakland City passed away Tuesday Oct. 30, 2012 at the Good Samaritan Home in Oakland City. 

He was born July 18, 1915 in Pike County to Oscar and Ethel (Wallace) Stilwell. 

He was a retired Union Coal Miner working for 36 years in the mines, last working at Tecumseh and Squaw Creek Mines. He was a WWII veteran, serving in the U.S. Marine Corp.

Charles had lived in Oakland City all of his adult life.  He was a member of the Oakland City First General Baptist Church. He started serving as a Deacon in 1954 and has been serving as an honorary Deacon since retiring. He also served as Sunday School Superintendent and teacher. He was a member of the U.M.W.A., Oakland City Masonic Lodge and Oakland City American Legion. He enjoyed having coffee every morning with the men at Millers Hardware.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Mildred Stilwell of Oakland City; four children, C. Darvin Stilwell (Bonnie) of Boonville; Jerry Stilwell (Judy) of Princeton; JoAnne Bayer (Glenn) of Green Bay Wis.; Russ Stilwell (Joanna) of Boonville; two sisters, Clara Russell of Evansville and Eleanor Nunn of Henderson, Ky.; eight grandchildren, Kerry Skelton (Kristen) of Minnesota; Janna Skelton of Indianapolis; Tom Stilwell (Rene) of Fremont, Calif.; Kathryn McGregor (Iain) of Princeton; Greg Bayer (Tracy) of Atlanta, Ga., Jason Bayer (Monica) of Benton, Ky., Ben Stilwell (Amy) of Newburgh, Matt Stilwell (Lisa) of Centerville, Ohio; 16 great grandchildren, Jensen, Parker and Reese Skelton, Violet Stilwell, Lydia McGregor, Zoe and Ainslie Kate Bayer, Isaac and Sofie Bayer, Cole, Joey, Cheyenne, Taylor, Kailyn, Sloane, and Blair Stilwell

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Albert Stilwell; sisters, Marion Siekman, Helen Helsley, Beatrice Siekman and Louise Boone. 

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday Nov. 2, 2012 at the Oakland City First General Baptist Church, with Rev. Larry Johnson and Rev. Terryl Almond officiating. Burial will follow at Townsley Cemetery in Mackey.

Visitation will be from 3 until 8 p.m. Thursday at the Corn-Colvin Funeral Home in Oakland City and from 9 a.m. until service time at the church on Friday.