ST. MARY PARISH, LA. 

Obituary for: WATKINS, CHARLES CLARENCE, SR.

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. 

Source: Franklin Banner-Tribune, Morgan City Daily Review; St. 
Mary Parish, La. Thu, 2014-03-13

Died: Saturday, March 8, 2014

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WATKINS, CHARLES CLARENCE, SR.

Wake services will be held on Friday, March 14, 2014 at 7 p.m., at Triune 
Church of God in Christ, 1118 Barrow Street in Franklin, Louisiana and funeral 
services will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at Gethsemane Church of God 
in Christ, 701 E. Pinhook Road in Lafayette, Louisiana, for the Rev. Charles 
Clarence Watkins Sr. 
He passed away surrounded by family and friends on March 8, 2014 at 11:30 p.m., 
at Lafayette General Hospital.

Visitation will be observed on Friday at Triune Church from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., 
and Saturday from 9 a.m. to the time of service at Gethsemane Church. Services 
will be conducted by Bishop Roy L. H. Winbush. 

Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.

Rev. Watkins was born on June 11, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri to the late 
George Watkins and Sylvia Ranklin Watkins. His family later moved to Nashville, 
Tennessee. He graduated from Haynes High School where he excelled in track and 
field and basketball. 
He served his country during the Korean War and continued in the Army Reserve 
until his retirement from the military in June of 1991.
In 1954, he moved to Lafayette, where he was introduced to and later married 
Bernice Grace Andrews. To this union was born three children, Sylvia, Charles 
Jr. and Ella.
He was a graduate of USL (now ULL) where he received his bachelor of liberal 
arts degree in 1967 and master of science degree in 1976. He worked for the 
state of Louisiana as a counselor with the Employment Office and also as a case 
worker for the WIN program.
He answered the call to the ministry in 1968 under the leadership of Bishop Roy 
L. H. Winbush at the Gethsemane Church of God in Christ. He later founded and 
served as pastor of the Triune Church of God in Christ in Franklin for 42 
years.
After the death of his first wife, he was joined in matrimony to Nellie Green 
Watkins in 1979, and was happily married until the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Nellie Green Watkins of Lafayette; his 
son, Charles (Pauline) Jr. of Fresno, Texas; his daughters, Sylvia Richard and 
Ella (Alton) Kilchrist of Lafayette; eight grandchildren, Nicole Watkins and 
Sibienne Watkins of Austin, Texas; Nicholas Richard, Phylicia Richard and 
Courtney Richard of Lafayette; Trinity Kilchrist and Kaya Kilchrist of 
Lafayette; 11 great grandchildren; in-laws, family, friends and the Triune 
COGIC congregation.

He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife and grandson, Damien 
Rodriguez Watkins.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Syrie Funeral Home, Inc. of Lafayette, La.

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