Charles Jacob Renner of Amenia, NY died on September 1st at the age of 95. He was born on December 5th , 1920 in Pawling, NY. One of eleven children, Charlie was the son of Henry Baker Renner and Anna Mae Renner. In his early years he attended the local one-room schoolhouse with his siblings. He graduated from Pawling High School where he played a variety of sports and was also a member of the local Grange.
In 1941 he accepted a training position for locomotive engineer at New York Central Railroad. In less than a year, World War 2 intervened when the US Army drafted him. He was assigned as a combat engineer to Wisconsin’s 32nd red arrow division. Travelling via troop transport ship to Newcastle, Australia, his company conducted training exercises for amphibious landings. Over the next two years he would experience jungle living throughout the islands of New Guinea and the Philippines. Despite the extreme hardships of tropical diseases and war, Charlie viewed his Army experience as a life changing event, one that made him a lifelong optimist and contributed to his longevity.
After the war Charlie returned to the railroad. The majority of his forty-one year career was spent on the Harlem line. Well known by commuters and valued by his peers, Charlie possessed great problem solving abilities and a wonderful sense of humor that was appreciated by all. Throughout his life he enjoyed a wide variety of outdoor activities in the Adirondacks and regionally. He was an avid skier and his enthusiasm for the sport was passed down to many members of his large extended family.
Charlie is survived by his wife Frances M. Renner, his son Charles H. Renner and wife Anne A. Cook, his grandsons Maximillian W. Renner, Jacob T. Renner and Zachary P. Renner, as well as many nieces and nephews. His first wife Ann C. Renner and ten siblings predeceased him.
A funeral service will be held at Immaculate Conception Church, Route 22, Amenia, NY on Saturday September 17th at 10:30am. Donations in his honor may be made to Immaculate Conception Church or the Amenia Rescue Squad, P O. Box 166, Amenia, NY 12501
Arrangements are under the direction of the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling, NY. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.hornandthomesfuneralhome.com.
