Charles Sisson

On Saturday, November 14th, 2020 Charles Lester Sisson passed away peacefully at the age of 86 in hospice in Terre Haute, Indiana at the Gibson Family Center Hospice.

Charles was born on August 5th, 1934 in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Claude Lester Sisson and Ella Goldie (Longwell) Sisson. Charles was the middle sibling of his older sister Inez Laverne (Sisson) Smith and younger brother William Arthur Sisson.

As a boy Charles grew up in various parts of the country, including Nebraska, Virginia, and Ohio, before his family settled in Clinton, Indiana in 1949. It was here that Charles met his wife Patricia Ann Uselman at Clinton High School, where he graduated in 1952.  He later attended Purdue University and served for eight years in the US Navy Reserves. Charles and Patricia were married September 24th, 1955. Together they raised three sons, Doug, Jeff, and Brad.

A lifelong farmer, Charles farmed from the time he was a boy until his retirement. He was employed by Meadowlark Farms in Centenary, Indiana where he worked for 30 years alongside his father Claude Sisson. In 1983, he and his sons Jeff and Doug purchased the Centenary, Indiana operation of Meadowlark Farms and founded Sisson Farms, Incorporated. Charles worked Sisson Farms with his sons Jeff and Doug until his retirement in 1994. After retiring from Sisson Farms, Charles and his wife Patricia opened 9th Street Feed Mart in Clinton, Indiana, which they operated together until 2005.

Throughout his life, Charles was a strong believer in civic duty and it was important for him to find ways to serve his community. He taught Sunday School at Centenary Methodist Church for several years, served for two terms on the South Vermillion School Board. He was active in 4-H, having started a local 4-H club while he was still in high school, served for 30+ years as President and Treasurer of the Vermillion County Fair Board, served twice as Grand Marshall of the Vermillion County Fair parade, and also judged numerous hog shows at county fairs throughout Indiana.

Charles was passionate about sports, being a lifetime fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics, and Indiana University basketball. He rarely missed a Cardinals game, and was often found during late summer evenings sitting beside his wife Patricia on their patio listening to radio broadcasts of Cardinals games and watching the sunset together.

Charles’s legacy includes his tight-knit and devoted family, a strong record of community service, and a lasting impact on the local agricultural community. He was preceded in death by his brother, William, his mother, Ella, and his father, Claude. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Patricia Ann Sisson; his sister Inez Laverne Smith; his brother-in-law Mark (Janice) Uselman;

His three children:

 Charles Douglas (Vicki) Sisson

 Jeffrey Lee (Stefanie) Sisson
 Bradley Allen (Amy) Sisson

His eleven grandchildren:

Ryan (Lacey) Sisson
Jordan (Jackson) Ryley
Austin Sisson
Krista (Kyle) Bales
Abbi Sisson
Taylor Sisson
Dylan (Zach) Shannon
Tre (Marissa) Strayer
Dru (Taylor) Strayer
Chase Wilson
Tucker Sisson

His four great-grandchildren:

Cody Sisson
Carter Sisson
Raylynn Bales
William Ryley

A private grave-side memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020 at Spangler Cemetery in Centenary, Indiana. Memorial contributions can be made to Vermillion County 4-H. 

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