Charles Walters

Charles Walters, 82, of Raytown, passed away January 14, 2009. Born on June 18, 1926 to Carl and Dorothea Walters in Ness County, Kansas, he married Ann Powell of Mount Pleasant, Michigan in 1956. They spent their entire married life in the Kansas City area and were founding members of St. Bernadette Parish.

Charles served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He graduated from Creighton University in Omaha and earned a master's in economics from Denver University before serving in an Air Force cartography unit during the Korean War. His life experiences were varied and colorful. Growing up through the Dust Bowl and Depression, he gardened to help support his family. Later he blasted for power lines in the Rocky Mountains, reported on the rodeo circuit, and agitated for collective bargaining in agriculture as editor for the National Farmers Organization. As the founder and editor of the magazine Acres U.S.A., he was one of the earliest and most prolific proponents of organic farming and food systems. From 1971 until his death, he wrote thousands of articles and dozens of books on economics and agronomy, along with two novels. His interests ranged from history to poetry, antique cars to genealogy, foreign travel to carpentry. In later years he enjoyed gardening and wine-making.

He is survived by his wife Ann, sons Chris and Fred of Austin, Texas, Tim of Lee's Summit, and a daughter, Jennifer, of Los Angeles, as well as daughters-in-law Michelle and Kathy and granddaughters Emily, Diana and Kara, a brother, Albert of Raytown, and two sisters, Dorothy and Velma. Visitation will be held at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 9020 E. 51st Terr., KC, MO 64133, Sunday, January 18, from 3-5:30 p.m., with rosary at 5 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 19, with burial following at Mount Olivet Cemetery. (Arr. Sheil Funeral Home, 816-353-6555.) Published in the Kansas City Star from 1/17/2009 - 1/18/2009