Charles Minatrea

Funeral services for Charles Wayne Minatrea, 89, of Arnold, Missouri, formerly of Mineola, are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Bartley Funeral Home, Grand Saline, with Reverend Tim Allen officiating.

Interment will follow in Creagleville Cemetery.

Surrounded by family, Mr. Minatrea passed away peacefully in his home on January 20, 2024. He was born December 23, 1934, in Van Zandt County to Charles Emery & Lottie Beeker Minatrea and was raised there until his marriage to Lynda Jo Wells on June 2, 1953. They moved to Mineola and spent most of their lives there. Charles worked for more than 40 years as a route sales and deliveryman. A member of the Church of Christ and former elder of the Jamestown Church of Christ, he also served on Mineola’s Historic Landmark Commission as well as the boards of the Creagleville, Jamestown, and Ford Green Cemeteries. An avid gardener, he served two terms as President of the Smith County Master Gardeners. Charles was also a lifelong baseball fan. From his Houston Colt 45 and early Astro years, he became a Texas Rangers fan upon their move to Arlington in 1972. Thankfully, after watching them struggle for fifty years, he was finally able to coach them to a World Series Championship - from his recliner and with the full support of his entire family. Charles was preceded in death by his parents; wife of sixty-eight years, Lynda Jo Wells Minatrea; a brother, Milfred Minatrea; and three sisters, Delois Estoll, Della Mae Croan, and Janelle Ely.

Survivors include a daughter, Cathy Teague (John) of Arnold, Missouri; two sons, Ron Minatrea (Susan) of Columbia, Tennessee, and Kevin Minatrea (Angie) of Missouri City; brother, Billy Minatrea of Quitman; seven grandchildren, Amanda Teague (Steve Galczynski), Michael Teague, Kevin Teague (Heather), April Minatrea, Jason Minatrea (Olivia), Nikki Vaught (John), and Andi Merhi (Jamie); nine great-grandchildren, Brooke, Ben, Blaine, Grayson, Willow, Jordan, Jaylah, James, and Wells; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers will be Michael Teague, Kevin Teague, Jason Minatrea, Steve Galczynski, John Vaught, and Jamie Merhi.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that Memorials be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).

The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m., at the funeral home.