Biographical Sketch
April 8, 1871 - Jan. 16, 1948
Charles William Claunch was the fifth child of Dr. James Riley Claunch. He was born April 8, 1871, twelve miles south of Jonesboro, Arkansas, on what was then known as the Bill Wilson farm. That same year, the family moved to Harrisburg, Arkansas, where they lived until the fall of 1872. They then moved to Lester Landing (now known as Claunch, Arkansas) on the old Phillip Lester farm. In the late summer of 1873, the family moved to the Claunch farm. On October 7, 1889, they moved yet again to Jonesboro, Arkansas, where Charles William attended the South School for one and a half terms. He entered the service of what was then the KCFS&M railroad [Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis]. In 1905, he went into a partnership with his brother J.B. Claunch, and J.R. Wiggington at Marked Tree, Arkansas, in the mercantile business. In 1906, he sold out and re-entered the railroad service. On April 21, 1909, he bought the American Hotel in Jonesboro from J. E. Barnett, and operated it by that name until 1912. That year, he built an addition to teh hotel and changed the name to Hotel Claunch. He operated the hotel until March, 1929, when he leased it out for two years. In March 1931, he again took over operation of the hotel, and continued to manage it until June 1, 1944, when it was leased to Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Hargett.
On June 6, 1900, he married Mrs. Mary Agnes Armstrong Stotts, of Craighead County, Arkansas. Their first child, Agnes Jane, died in infancy. Their second child, Charles Luther Claunch, was born February 7, 1906 in Jonesboro. After Mrs. Claunch died on January 5, 1931, Charles William married Mrs. Rosa Wimann on July 14, 1937.
He united with the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro on November 8, 1925. He was a life member of the Order of the Elks Lodge 498. Charles William died of cancer on January 16, 1948, and is buried in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
