Charlotte was born April 17, 1937, in Lee County, Commonwealth of Virginia. She passed away at home on August 6, 2020. Charlotte is the daughter of Charles Richmond Reasor of Lee County, Virginia and of Evelyn Wilson Reasor of Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Virginia. Both of Charlotte's paternal grandparents, Henry Clinton Tyler Reasor and Kate L. Barker Reasor, were of Lee County Virginia. Charlotte's father died in Clarke County but is buried in Lee County, Virginia; and her mother is buried here in Clarke County, where Charlotte will be buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery.
Charlotte survived a sister Teddi Reasor Arnold of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Charlotte predeceases two sisters and one brother: her sister Shirley Reasor Marks (Mrs. Henry) of Oconee County; her brother Charles Reasor of the Marietta and his twin sister Gaye Reasor Arnold of Chesterfield, Virginia. Charlotte grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, on her parents' and grandparents' self-sustaining Appalachian farms. She enjoyed playing with the farm animals and riding her horse Dan all around the farm in and among the fields of beautiful native flowers. Since Appalachia has more kinds of wild flowers than does any other region of the country, Charlotte grew up with a love of flowers. Just the thought of growing up in such an idyllic setting with such an abundance of flora would bring back to her the fragrant memories of some of her favorite spring blooming trees, plants, and flowers, such as of peach trees, apple trees, pear trees. dogwoods, azaleas, mountain laurel, rhododendron, daffodils, violets, trillium, Star of Bethlehem, Dutchman’s britches, lily of the valley, dwarf iris, mountain wood sorrel, Queen Anne's Lace, phlox, dayflower, aster, foxglove, larkspur, field pansy, and lady slippers. Big Stone gap was first known as Mineral City then as Three Forks before officially taking its name in 1888. A picturesque town where Little Stone Mountain dominates the background, Big Stone Gap is nestled in the valley that is on the Appalachia Straight in southwest Virginia where the economy once was associated with the coal and the iron industry. Religion was central to the Reasor household. As a family they attended one of the oldest churches in the area, Christ Episcopal Church, known as Christ Church. It was built in 1892 with a cruciform frame, with Gothic style details, and with exterior weather boards painted barn red. The altar was acquired from a church in Restburg, Virginia; and the antique cabinet above the vigil candles was acquired from a British Anglican church. The church is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register. Not too far away is the grammar school, Big Stone Gap Elementary School, and the high school, Wise County High School, where Charlotte loved learning. She was so serious about her lessons that she had the honor of being Valedictorian of the Senior Class of 1959. From there she went to Radford College with the intention of becoming a doctor. Therefore, not only was she lovely, she was brilliant. She graduated from Radford in 1963 with an undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
She began her first year of teaching 7th and 8th grade in middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia where she taught for 12 years; and she ended her 30th year of teaching at Hillsman Middle School Clarke County, Georgia where she taught 7th and 8th grade then her last two years at Cedar Shoals High School where she taught 10th grade. She took her Master's Degree in 1972 from the University of Georgia (UGA) which is ranked among the nation's top academic research-extensive institutes with the College of Education as a center of innovative research, of teaching, and of local, national, and international service projects. Charlotte was an effective teacher even in her very first class of teaching in Virginia because recently one of those seventh-grade students, Jim Kelly, went back to the old Virginia school and asked how he could get in touch with his favorite teacher Charlotte Reasor. When he called her, Charlotte was greatly appreciative of the few minutes of his thoughtfulness which meant the world to her since she was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease making it difficult for her to talk. However, she said she remembered Jim Kelly quite well because as a 7th grader in her first year of teaching he proposed to her. Mr. Kelly enjoys a career as an international financier; and, he credits Charlotte for making a positive impact on his life. While Charlotte was a student at UGA, she met John. Soon John proposed. When speaking about the upcoming wedding, John's Mother told Charlotte she would always have flowers in the house. That has been true. John surrounded Charlotte with flowers. Charlotte and John attended church at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Prince Avenue with Raby Edwards, D.D., as rector who married them on September 2, 1972.
Charlotte and John had a good start in their marriage with Raby Edwards as their rector for he was of a Godly nature. Raby Edwards was nicknamed Raby Baby for his gentle, caring, spirit-led approach to ministering his flock. He was held in high esteem as he continued his ministry in Virginia and in North Carolina before becoming the Reverend Canon Don Raby Edwards. Charlotte's love of flowers was evident as she first served on the flower guild at Emmanuel, where she teamed with Fran Thomas and with Tommie Elaine Shattuck to design arrangements ranging in size from larger English garden bouquets to smaller Japanese Ikebana, then served on the flower guild at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Greensboro. The home of the Waters, “Greyside,” is the perfect setting for Charlotte's talent as it is sited on a Milledge Circle hill affording a surrounding view from inside the house to outside the house of the gardens with many rare specimen plants interspersed among great oaks, manicured lawns, a koi pool, and a camellia walk. The gardens host as many as 82 camellias. Camellia Reticulata: Buddha stands sentinel between the curving drive and the fountained parterre Mothers' Memory Garden. Charlotte's talent was inherited from her ancestors some of whom quite distinguished in Virginia by the names of: Chiles, Childs, Page, Diggs, and Wyatt. Her family was among the earliest settlers in America while some family members were the first royal governors and lieutenant-governors of the colony of Virginia as well as were members of the last royal council in Virginia. One family member was the lieutenant-governor in the Commonwealth who saved letters from prominent leaders who later requested the letters be returned to be used as references for the prominent leaders' memoirs. One family member was a colonel in the militia fighting with Washington in his western expedition in the French and Indian War. One family member was a major who served as an aide-de-camp to a general the Marquis de Lafayette during the campaign against Lord Cornwallis in Virginia. In addition, family members were of the Virginia Committee of Safety, trustees of William and Mary College, and members of the Colonial Council serving Queen Anne. Some family members were representatives in the Virginia House of Burgesses, delegates to the convention that framed the Virginia State Constitution, delegates to the Old Congress in 1777, members of the Continental Congress, and postmasters of Philadelphia. Some family members owned shares in the Virginia Company of London. One family member grew 3,000 acres of grain and sweet-scented tobacco, and one was regarded as the premier silk producer in Virginia. Also, family members married the daughters of some of the wealthiest men in Virginia, and other family members married the daughters of some of the most influential men in Virginia: Mary the daughter of Archibald Cary; and Lucy the daughter of Thomas Nelson. Charlotte's family heritage goes back to Jamestown where, more than 300 years ago, her ancestors took their civic duty seriously by supporting the community and the church in providing land for the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, and in providing land for the first church in Williamsburg, Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. Later, her family migrated from Jamestown to Gloucester, Virginia, to build the 1725 family home “Rosewell” on 3,000 acres. This home was considered to be one of America's grandest colonial homes. Her family's total land encompassed nearly 70,000 acres including some land in Fredrick, Prince William, and Spotsylvania. With this expansive holding of land, Charlotte's family became the largest land holder in Virginia next to Thomas, Baron Cameron, Sixth Lord Fairfax who was a neighbor of and a mentor to George Washington. Members of Charlotte's family include those who contributed their fortunes to aid the public cause such as to supply bullets made from the lead windows at “Rosewell,” Charlotte's ancestor grandfather John Page was Virginia's first Colonial Governor. Tradition holds that among the friends he entertained at “Rosewell” was Thomas Jefferson. As a guest there he drafted part of the Declaration of Independence in some of the grand rooms of “Rosewell.” Indeed, Charlotte was of a noble heritage.
After Charlotte and John married and were looking for their first home, a realtor drove them around Athens on a number of occasions until one day they saw “Greyside” and told the realtor they wanted to live there. The realtor seemed hesitant to show the house to them. However reluctant, the realtor opened the front door. After the tour, the realtor said he could not sell the house to them because this was an Orr house; it had only one previous owner; and the Waters were not from Athens. This was said aside from the fact that: the house was in a state of disrepair with a leaking roof's water damage that went through the upper floor, down into the living room ceiling, onto the living room floor, and into the basement; and aside from the fact that neither did the house have central heat nor did it have air conditioning but had a coal burning furnace in the basement requiring twice daily attendance by Claude Howell who made his rounds on Milledge Circle to stoke the fire in the morning and to bank the fire in the evening. This comment by the realtor may be translated to mean the Waters were not whom he thought Athens would expect to live at “Greyside,” a high style Colonial Revival. Apparently, the genteel lineage of both Charlotte and of John escaped the imagination of the realtor. He was as mistaken about them as they were determined about the house. Charlotte and John's charming personalities won over the realtor. Over the years, their gentility proved to be a humble gentility which would enhance “Greyside,” Milledge Circle, and Athens proper; but, the realtor did not know that at the time. Soon, the Waters owned the two-story house and moved in on John's birthday in 1973.
That first night spent at “Greyside” was interesting in that it gave John and Charlotte pause to reconsider the possibilities for renovating this formerly grand home. When it was time to go to sleep John looked from the bed around the room at all the pots and all the pans collecting dripping water and said, “At least it is not dripping on us” at which time a drop of water fell onto his nose. Thus, the first thing they did to make the house livable was to move the bed. The builder was Dr. Corbin Decker who created a distinguished home located on land which now is known as High Ball Hill. Dr. Decker had his eye, ear, nose, and throat medical practice in the Southern Mutual Building where he knew an architect with offices there, too. It was through this association that the house was designed by nationally known native Athenian Fred J. Orr (1874-1935) who designed more than 30 buildings in Athens, including the YWCA, with different styles ranging from cottages to mansions. As is the nature in Athens, no matter how long the Waters lived in the home, the home will be referred to after its original owner the Corbin Deckers. Luckily, for Charlotte and for John, the “Decker” home goes by its name of “Greyside”; however, visitors may see above the doorknob an engraved brass plaque's subliminal message reading, “The Decker-Waters House 1923.” The integrity of the original structure of the house sitting on .64 acres remains as designed by Orr who left an “O” in the design of each of his houses. The “O” at “Greyside” may be seen above the paired columns in a cutout of the letter “O” on the plain friezes extending the width of the paired columns. According to Stephanie Foell, one of John's former students who created an exhibition on Orr houses exhibited by UGA's College of Environment and Design, the foyer at “Greyside” is Orr's most elaborate foyer of all the other foyers in the Athens' On houses. Original to the house is oak flooring throughout the downstairs and the upstairs. However in 1975, in an attempt to disguise the furnace grate in the foyer, Interior Designer Kathryn Gruetter (Mrs. Neal) of Comer was commissioned to design the oak foyer floor painted in a faux parquet, with a meander or meandros border also known as a Greek fret or a Greek key and surrounding laurel leaf designs and laurel wreath designs. Straight ahead is the stairway leading upstairs from the foyer. The stairway has its original curtails, inner and outer strings, treads, risers, newel post, balusters or spindles, return nosing, fascia, banister, the landings, and the two half landings. On either side of the foyer are glass-paned double French doors leading into the dining room on the right and into the living room on the left. The walls of the foyer are squared off with four wall scones matching four wall sconces in the living room where also, original to the house, are the living room fireplace, mantel, and two additional sets of paned glass double French doors leading onto an expanded full-length open porch. In addition, original to the house in the living room are a wall of paned glass windows above a built-in storage bench spanning the entire back side of the room adjacent to opposing bookshelves. Therefore, inside, Architect Fred On captured natural light from every possible angle; inside, Kathryn Gruetter captured the grandeur of elegance; also, inside, Charlotte's Radford College friend, Betty Myrtle, assisted with fine arts acquisitions; outside, John's landscaping designs set this home and its gardens apart on a stately level. The results of these five artists, of Fred, of Charlotte, of John, of Kathryn, and of Betty, frame a picture unique to any other home's interior and exterior for line, color, and design. As a result, splendid events have been held at their premier residence overseen by Charlotte and John, ever the consummate hostess and host to garden parties and to weddings. Thus, together Charlotte's and John's efforts over the years have meticulously restored the home to its original glory; and the gardens, designed by John, had Charlotte's preferences in mind.
The distinction of Athens Historic Landmark may recognize a structure not only for its outstanding significance of quality, but also for the quality of whom the structure is associated. Through John's efforts, “Greyside” was awarded such an historical preservation and landscape architectural distinction which recognizes the combined efforts of all these artists. In addition, Charlotte will be remembered by her many friends in the community who recall how Charlotte supported John as he devoted his career to historic preservation issues. Being artistically inclined, Charlotte's approach to life was in an artistic manner. For instance, she wrote in cursive writing, examples of which are not unlike that found above her teacher's blackboard; and she beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts. Also, she was an avid reader of a variety of topics. Charlotte loved her dogs all named Beauregard. Charlotte named her favorite feline pet after J. R. R. Tolkien's Gandalf who came to her door one stormy night and never left the house again. Thus, Gandalf lived up to one of his name's quotes: “…not all those who wander are lost.”
She has enjoyed being in Ladies Garden Club, the first garden club in America, where she received national recognition for her work as president in helping restore the interior of the smoke house in the Lumpkin House Founders Memorial Garden museum with its bay window overlooking the boxwood garden and the remainder of the gardens all honoring the original twelve founding ladies: Olivia Newton Cobb (Mrs. Lamar Cobb); Mary Bryan Thomas Lumpkin (Mrs. Edwin King Lumpkin); Anne Jones Burnette (Mrs. Wiley Baxter Burnette); Minnie McEntire Tribble (Mrs. Samuel J. Tribble); Eleanor Hobson Ferguson Vincent (Mrs. Thomas Pleasant Vincent); Miss Julia Carlton, daughter of Dr. Joseph Barnett and Emma Harriett More Carlton; Susan Golding Gerdine (Mrs. John Gerdine); Sarah Cobb Rucker (Mrs. Tinsley Rucker); Anna McWhorter Thomas (Mrs. G. C. Thomas); Elizabeth Hodgson Mure (Mrs. R. D. Mure); Marion Lampkin West (Mrs. Henry Sammons West); and Ella Brown Lowrance (Mrs. H. A. Lowrance), noted Athenian families all who would have been impressed with Charlotte's service as president of Ladies Garden Club where she and John oversaw the placement of a time capsule within Founders Memorial Garden on Lumpkin Street.
Also, Charlotte was an organizing member of several lineage organizations such as the National Society Georgia State Society Daughters of the American Revolution Apalachee Chapter, and of the National Society Georgia State Society Daughters of the American Colonists Baron Governor Robert Daniell Chapter. Most of all, Charlotte will be remembered for her Christian ways which she exhibited every day as being the sweet one, the good one, the kind, courteous, genteel one, the lovely one in every respect. Formerly, a tribute was given to one of the founding first ladies garden club members expressing how highly regarded the founder was by saying, “All she met in her kindly way felt drawn to her, sure of her good will and sympathy.” Similar words may be said of Charlotte's nature for her whole life was a lovely flower garden full of friends. She was born among flowers. She lived among flowers. She died among flowers. Although Charlotte was not a certified master gardener, coincidentally, upon hearing of Charlotte's passing, one of John's former students, Stephen White, sent a message of condolence including the phrase, “Heaven just gained a new master gardener.”
Final arrangements are being handled by Bernstein Funeral Home; and final services will be delayed until a time in the future.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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