Name: Charlie Floyd Mixon
Birthplace: Hahira, Georgia
March 17, 1921 ~ May 5, 2004
Name: Gladys Kuulei Kamaka
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii
December 17,1925 ~ December 2, 1999
From left to right: Auntie Jo & Date, Auntie Lani & Uncle Red, Auntie Darling & Uncle Mixon, Auntie Nora & Uncle Spencer.
About Charlie and Gladys: Mom was one of 18 children born to Sarah and Joseph Kamaka in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dad was one of 7 children born to Viola and William Mixon in Hahira, Georgia. They both grew up in close knit families with a rich history. I have often been asked how "Darling" as my mother was referred to... and my father Charlie came to marry. Mom was a slender petite girl with the dark skin and jet black hair and eyes of a native Hawaiian. Dad was a tall and burly young man with the light freckled skin of Irish descent from Georgia. They began their life story with the backdrop of violent times during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and World War II. My father enjoyed telling a story about how he and some of his army buddies were in a local park one day when a beautiful little spitfire playing volleyball caught his attention. She turned out to be Mom. What setting could be better for romance than the captivating islands of Hawaii for a GI stationed far from the tiny town of Hahira that for him was home? Dad also talked about the difficulty an outsider had in being accepted ... especially within this large tight knit family of protective Hawaiians who weren't quite sure their "Darling" should end up with this "Haole." However, when Dad was able to win over "Papa Kamaka" ... it became a done deal! They were married March 4, 1944. Family life's ups and downs came quickly to the young couple as they lost the first born child, Charles Williama to pneumonia in June of 1944. It wasn't long, however, before they were blessed with the birth of Marlene in 1945 followed by Vi in 1946. Soon after, Uncle Sam decided it was time to relocate the family from the paradise of Honolulu to dusty El Paso, Texas. Mom had to say Aloha to her island family and childhood home to begin the journey so many war brides accepted that came with being married to a career military man ... the perpetual cycle of moving every three years. Charlie Jr., JoAnn and Sandra were born in 1947, 1950 & 1951 while they were stationed in El Paso. They moved to Japan where they embraced a totally different culture while living in the shadow of Mount Fuji. There was a stint lived in Fort Benning, Georgia. When Dad got orders to move to Iceland, a decision was made for the family to remain stateside in Jacksonville Florida until Dad could return. The next rotation took them back to Texas... this time to centrally located Copperas Cove where they faced the loss of their last child, Dean Franklin on April 11, 1961. The next tour of duty moved the family to Stuttgart Germany. By then, we were all old enough to appreciate the wonders of living in Europe. Most weekends Dad would load us up into our huge red Ford station wagon and find a new place to explore. We basically camped our way through Europe enjoying places such as the awesome Alps of Switzerland, the splendor of the castles in Austria and majesty of Rome in Italy. We also learned about the horror evil men visit upon one another while visiting the concentration camps in Germany. The final place of residence before retirement was Fort Stewart, Georgia. Upon retirement, Dad settled the family in Jacksonville, Florida where some of his siblings lived and became a successful Texaco service station owner. Our parents counted their children as their most prized blessing as well as the extended Ohana on both sides. They always put us first and instilled those same values in their offspring. Their home at 2026 Holly Oaks River Drive is where they remained as they witnessed the marriage of each of their children and happily welcomed many of the grandchildren that will forever carry on their heritage.
