He was born 03 October 1883 in Manhattan, New York to John Henry Ayres and Louise Esaias. Charles left home as a teenager to become a jockey and rode at Belmont for a short time before being thrown and suffering a back injury. His mother's family disowned Charles for having embarrassed them by becoming a jockey. That estrangement led to a divorce between his parents by 1910, and Charles made his way to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he met and married a lovely widow named Linna Arvilla (Stansberry) Sheddrick. Charles & Linna were married in Tulsa in 1913 and issued two daughters, Linna Louise in 1918, and Elizabeth Maxine in 1920. Charles died 04 December 1936 without ever seeing or knowing his three grandchildren, two girls and a boy. However, the children and grandchildren from his wife Linna's 2nd marriage to William Sheddrick, each had only loving and wonderful memories of Charles Ayers, a man who worked hard, loved his wife and children - loved all children and would give them special candy treats.
Explore and connect with Oklahoma’s history through the faces and places of the past.
Oklahoma has a history shaped by Native American heritage, the Land Runs, and the rise of the oil industry. Discover old photos and family history pictures taken in Oklahoma—capturing moments from e...