Charles "Charlie" Curtis Hatley

OBITUARY

Charles Curtis “Charlie” Hatley, 95, died on February 13, 2026, at Mercy Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born at home on May 1, 1930, in Benton County, Tennessee near Camden to Willam M. Hatley and Mae (Moore) Hatley. The family moved to New Madrid County near Gideon when he was 8 years old. 

He graduated valedictorian of his class at Gideon High School in 1949 and attended Southeast Missouri State College majoring in History for three years before joining the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and was a naval gunfire director at Wonsan Harbor in North Korea. After being honorably discharged, he completed his A.B. degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1954. He was then admitted to the University of Missouri School of Law where he obtained his LLB degree in 1957 and J.D. degree in 1958.

While attending law school, he met his wife, Jennie Lee Jurgensmeyer. They were married in Columbia on August 17, 1957. She predeceased him on January 13, 1999. They had three children, Charles C. “Chuck” Hatley, Jr., DDS (Robyn) of Lake Ozark (formerly Columbia), MO; Nancy L. Browne of Cape Girardeau, MO; and Stephen C. Hatley, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) (Nancy) of Bradenton, FL.

He practiced law in New Madrid for one month shy of 63 years, beginning in May of 1958 and continuing (part time at the end) until moving into the Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau in April, 2021. Although he spent most of those years in general practice, he served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri under Tom Eagleton and Norman Anderson in the Appellate Criminal Division from 1963 through 1969. He never forgot his roots in rural Tennessee and New Madrid County and always represented individuals and small businesses rather than corporations or insurance companies. He frequently accepted fruits and vegetables as payment for fees from clients who could not afford to pay. 

In addition to practicing law, he started acquiring rental properties in the early 1960’s in New Madrid, Lilbourn and Howardville, including an old two-story building across from the Bank of New Madrid on Main Street which he renovated into an apartment building and operated until it burned down in 1975. In 1973, he and his brother, Warren, who owned several motels in Memphis, built the Cottonboll Inn, a 60-room Best Western motel with a restaurant, lounge and swimming pool, at the Marston exit on I-55. He and his wife, Jennie, operated the Cottonboll Inn until selling it in 1988.

One of his proudest and little-known accomplishments was the work he did to develop what was an abandoned home built before the Civil War, with no indoor plumbing and rapidly deteriorating, into what is now the Hunter-Dawson Home State Historic Site in New Madrid. Beginning in 1964, he worked with George Boone, one of many heirs who owned the property, on efforts to preserve the home for public park purposes and began the arduous task of contacting all the heirs to convince them it was a good idea. After a two-year process to obtain everyone’s consent and agree on a purchase price, he then had to convince the State Park Board that it should take over and preserve the property as a State Historic Site. But the State would only accept the property if it was donated by a public entity. So with the help of Sam L. Hunter, Jr., then President of the Bank of New Madrid and Chairman of the City Park and Cemetery Board, he persuaded the City to make the purchase from the heirs and donate the land to the State. A grant for half of the purchase price was obtained, dependent upon the City raising the other half. The funds were raised and the purchase made in July, 1966. Once that was done, he worked to obtain over $300,000 in grants and loans to refurbish the home and grounds and to install water and sewer facilities. Over the years the home has continued to receive grants and private donations and is a shining example of an 1850’s antebellum mansion. In 2012 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is currently maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. 

Throughout his life he was a leader in the New Madrid community. He was a 32^nd Degree Mason and an active member of the Masonic Lodge in New Madrid for over 60 years, holding several offices; a member and former President of the New Madrid Chapter of the American Red Cross until it became a part of the Southeast Missouri Chapter; a charter member and former Post Commander of American Legion Brown Twitty Post 595, also serving in the Honor Guard; active in the VFW; and served on numerous boards and committees. 

Charlie was an avid golfer and he and his wife, Jennie, were long time members of the New Madrid Country Club where he regularly participated in Men’s League and Couple’s League for over 40 years. He was a private pilot and loved to fly. He owned four planes over the years, his favorite being his V35 Bonanza. He loved to travel, and visited nearly all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. He loved to turkey hunt and fish on the Mississippi River with friends that have all predeceased him. He also loved playing cards and shooting craps and continued going to the casino while living at the VA Home on its bi-monthly trips to the Century Casino in Cape until he died. He had a long, full life.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jennie; parents; two brothers, O.W. “Red” Hatley of Gideon and C. Warren Hatley of Memphis, TN, and one sister, Dorothy Moore of Fairborn, OH. He is survived by his three children; grandchildren Jennifer Hatley (Mike) Mariani, Jessica Hatley (Simon) Clarke, Stephen C. (Ashley) Hatley, Jr., Charles W. (Heidi) Hatley, William P. Browne, Jr., Conrad P. Browne and Parker H. (Caroline) Browne; great-grandchildren Sloane and Vaughn Mariani, Kensley and Madeleine Hatley, Brooklyn and Taylor Hatley, and a Browne baby boy due in April; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid on Friday, February 27, 2026 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with Funeral Services at Richards Funeral Home on Saturday, February 28 at 10:00 am. Burial with full military honors will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, New Madrid. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Foundation or the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Caregivers Fund.