Charles Benjamin Hibbitts

Charles Benjamin Hibbitts of Pueblo who was born 13 Oct. 1921 died Dec. 10 at the age of 95 from pneumonia. He was a 68 year resident of Pueblo who retired from the Pueblo Army Depot as a supervisor in the Optical Instrument Division. Charles was born on a farm,. midwife assisted birth, in Laurel County, Ky. He graduated from a rural grade school in 1935 in the middle of the great American Economic Depression. Like most rural teenagers at the time he did not go to high school. He choose a trade school plastering, but after finishing his apprenticeship in this trade decided it was not for him because he had to breathe too much dust. At 16 he joined the local National Guard Unit, a horse cavalry unit. After a few months he joined the 3C’s Civilian Conservation Corps and was shipped to Idaho to help build trails, roads and culverts in the national forests. He was in Idaho for two years and returned to Kentucky and immediately left for Hamilton, Ohio where he worked in a cabinet making factory for three years. In 1942 he was drafted into the army. Once he was in the army he was selected to go to advanced Infantry type schools such as Ranger school and thus was not sent off to combat immediately after completing basic training. In 1943 he was sent to Europe to fight in WWII. He was assigned to the 10th Armored Infantry Division under General Patton. He was wounded badly twice while in combat and awarded two purple heart medals. He was a highly decorated fighter being awarded the bronze star medal with oak leaf cluster for valor and the silver star medal, along with a Croix de Guerre medal from the French government. He was awarded the silver star medal for taking a bazooka out in the open street and knocking out an advancing German tank that had penetrated the friendly forces line of defense and killing American soldiers with machine gun fire. He was discharged as a staff sergeant at the end of the war in 1945. He returned to Ky. for rest and to recuperate from the war and after a couple of months left for Chicago to attend a trade school which taught watch making and as well as the study of optics. In 1947 he decided to go to Colorado because he liked the west and settled in Denver for a year. In Denver he joined a partner who was in the well drilling business. He severed ties with his business partner after one year and in 1948 went to work at the Pueblo Army Depot where he worked until his retirement in 1974. In 1950 he married a local lady, Nancy Bateham. Chuck and Nancy had two sons. He is survived by his wife Nancy, sons Charles Jr., Christopher Taft (Susan) all of Pueblo. Chuck is also survived by younger brother Leroy (Louise) Hibbitts of Colorado Springs, a granddaughter Kaylen (Tony) Niehaus and great granddaughter Scarlett of Denver , numerous nieces and nephews in Colorado as well as Ky. He was preceded in death by a grandson Brian Hibbitts, mother Cora M Seeley, father Benjamin H Hibbitts, brothers Arthur, Cornelius & Clyde. Chuck was a life member of BPOE #90, and won the first Senior Olympics in Pueblo. He loved collecting antiques and he and Nancy had an antique store in Old Colorado City for many years.

Arrangements under the direction of George McCarthy Funeral Home, Pueblo, .