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| Charles Percifield |
Tuesday Chariton Leaders and Thursday Herald-Patriots conveyed much sorrowful news during August of 1944, 75 years ago this long hot summer. Not an issue passed without stories of Lucas County soldiers, Marines and sailors who had been killed, declared dead or reported missing in action as World War II continued.
The Leader of August 8, for example, reported that Lt. Lucille Jarvis, an Army nurse, had been killed in an accident in California and that Army Lt. Howard K. Hollingshead was missing in action in the European theater.
But then there was this story, too, headlined "Cow Saves Chariton Artilleryman's Life on Fifth Army Front: Bossy Makes Final Sacrifice When Shell Hits Mabel's Barn" ---
"A cow recently saved the life of Corporal Charles Percifield of Chariton, Iowa, while he was serving in an artillery unit of the 3rd "Marne" Division on the Fifth Army Front in Italy.
Percifield's unit was using a barn for sleeping quarters and "Mabel," the cow occupant had to go.
"She couldn't quite resign herself to the fact that she couldn't sleep in her own home any longer," the young Chariton soldier said. "She started to nose her way inside and I chased her out.
"A second later, a German shell landed on the other side of Mabel. She turned, gave a low 'moo,' and fell over."
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Son of Charley (1883-1965) and Eva Mae Parr (1892-1986) Percifield, Charles was born May 20, 1918, in Chariton, was a graduate of Chariton High School and worked at various jobs in Chariton before enlisting in the U.S. Army on Feb. 19, 1941, age 22, and reporting for duty at Fort Snelling.
Assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 10th Field Artillery Battalion, Charles was deployed to the North African-Middle Eastern-European theater during late December of 1942 and served there for 27 consecutive months, until March 22, 1945.
His obituary contains this account of his service: "Charles participated in the invasion of Africa, the battles of Tunisia-Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Normandy and Rhineland. He was wounded twice and earned six battle stars."
An article in The Des Moines Tribune of May 29, 1963, contains a little more information: "He served with the 3rd Division in Africa, Sicily, Italy and France, got 'jarred up a little' and was hospitalized in England."
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After the war, Charles studied photography for a time and during 1948 returned to open a studio in Chariton. That enterprise was short lived, however, and during 1949 he headed for California to study at the Fred Archer School of Photography.
A career shift, however, took him into other fields, as described in that 1963 Des Moines Tribune article, first as a laboratory test mechanic on planes and missiles for Douglas Aircraft, then as a ground test mechanic for Martin Aircraft.
In 1961, he returned to Chariton --- most likely because of the increasingly fragile health of his father and the fact his two sisters, Irene and Thelma, were living elsewhere at the time --- and as the result of further study and another career move, opened a hair salon on the lower level of the Hotel Charitone.
It was that move that attracted the attention of Des Moines Tribune columnist Herb Owens, who featured Charles in the 1963 story that begins, "Charles (Chuck) Percifield, 43, World War II combat veteran, made a most unusual switch in careers several years ago --- from missile testing mechanic to beauty operator. Percifield, a big, manly fellow now operates the Hotel Charitone Beauty Shop here."
Male "beauty operators" apparently were scarcer than hens' teeth in rural Iowa at the time, and Herb made sure to point out that Charles was a manly sort of guy --- and he was indeed "big" --- six-foot-two-inches and slim at the time he registered for the draft in 1940 with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Charles's principal hobbies involved art, and Owens also reported, "Still a bachelor, Percifield works long hours at this shop, but he finds some time for an art hobby. Always interested in painting and drawing, he uses copper work as his main outlet. In that, he won a prize at the Lucas County Fair."
His father died at 82 during 1965 and thereafter Charles moved his mother to his home at Williamson and made a home for her there until she died during 1986 at age 93. But he had found his professional niche and although he relocated his salon elsewhere in Chariton, continued his work as a "beauty operator" until retirement, occasionally giving programs offering advice on hair solutions to various women's groups.
Among other things, Charles served on the Williamson City Council, but late in life, during 2006, moved back to Chariton and into a new home on North Grand Street. He was 92 when he died on April 11, 2011, survived by nieces, nephews and friends.
"Charles was known for his friendliness, sense of humor, generosity and his love of art, beauty and all creatures great and small," according to his obituary. "He was loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed by all who knew him."
Memorials were to be addressed to the Lucas County Humane Society.
It seems obvious that Mabel the Italian cow, who had given up her life so long ago to save his, had not died in vain.
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