Charlotte Brantley

Teacher, mentor, artist, musician, and loving wife and mother, Charlotte Brantley"s life of love and service ended Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Memorial services will be Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at 4:00 P.M. in the sanctuary of The First Presbyterian Church of Canyon. The Reverend John N. Brantley and the Reverend Jim Wallace will officiate. Graveside services will be 2:30 P.M. Tuesday, April 19 at Dreamland Cemetery. Charlotte Ellen Rugel was born on August 28, 1923, to Charles Edward and Susie Jean Rugel in San Marcos, Texas. She graduated from high school at sixteen and attended Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos, completing her B.A. in 1942. Mrs. Brantley began her teaching career that fall in Kerrville where she taught art and orchestra. The next fall she began two years as a teacher in Austin, Texas, at Allan Junior High School. Charlotte Ellen Rugel married Royal L. Brantley on December 16, 1944 in Riverside, CA. The newlyweds resided near Edwards Air Force Base until Lt. Brantley began his tour of duty overseas. At that time Mrs. Brantley returned to Texas and her job at Allan Jr. High. Following the end of WWII , the Brantley"s moved to San Marcos where they resided until the fall of 1948 when they moved to Stephenville. In 1953, the Brantleys left Tarleton State College where Mr. Brantley had been an instructor, and moved to Canyon, Texas, where he began his long career at West Texas State College, (the current WTAMU), and Mrs. Brantley began her journey as a celebrated and much loved educator and artist. After moving to Canyon, Mrs. Brantley taught private music lessons while completing an M.A. at W.T.S.U. in 1959. In 1960, she began a twenty-eight year career as the art teacher at Canyon High School. In her capacity as art teacher, Mrs. Brantley taught approximately three thousand students how to see the world and translate it into art. She sponsored and directed the CHS art department in countless Scholastic Art Award Competitions, working late into the night to help individual students finish their entries according to the regulations. A former yearbook editor herself, Mrs. Brantley sponsored and supported the Soaring Wings and Eagles" Tale journalism programs for several years. Mrs. Brantley and her art classes researched and produced designs for programs, posters, sets and costumes for Canyon High"s enormously successful musical theatre program and UIL One Act Play productions. Twenty-three years after her retirement, Mrs. Brantley"s former students continue to love her and describe her as a strong, inspiring, and loving motivational force in their lives. "Mrs. B.," as she became affectionately known, shared her artistic gifts generously with Canyon. Beginning in 1966, Mrs. B. was a member of the original production team of the TEXAS Musical Drama, where she brought beauty, style and historical accuracy to the show through 1984. Two generations of "TEXAS kids" remember her with love and admiration for her extraordinary patience, humor and love. In the early 70"s, Mrs. Brantley designed the decor of the new sanctuary for First Presbyterian Church of Canyon. The stained glass windows and woven raredas continue to draw comments and admiration after almost forty years. Mrs. Brantley was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Canyon for 57 years, served the church as both Deacon and Elder, sang in the choir, and worked to support the congregation in many other capacities. Another example of Mrs. Brantley"s contributions to the community is the textile that hangs in the entry of the Canyon Public Library. From 1954 until 1979, Mrs. Brantley designed programs and publicity posters, helped produce costumes and/or played in the pit orchestra for many of the acclaimed opera and musicals produced at W.T."s Branding Iron Theatre. She taught summer courses in art education at W.T. throughout the 70"s, an