Charley was my friend for thirteen years and my brother in law for eight years.  He appeared rough and tough but was actually a kind, warm,and compassionate person. He went out early the morning he died to help some friends with a broken down car, came home & had a drink with his roommate, took some pain medication for his arthritis, and never woke up.  Two days after his funeral,July 13,1981, I was kidnapped at gunpoint from my car-terrible things happened. I believe my angel, Charley,was watching over me that night-he was always there for his friends. We love you and miss you so much.

Charlie Kuers was a very good buddy of mine when we were both at Cary Jr. High.  I really admired him, and even looked up to him.  The reason was that, although Charlie was as gentle and sweet as a lamb (really), he somehow ran afoul of some Cary Jr. High hoodlums, several of whom engaged him in fist-fights -- God knows why.  Charlie never backed down or ran away from such confrontations (which were not of his own choosing), and in fact he beat the hell out of a couple of bad guys who had come after him -- it was all the talk around Cary Jr. High for awhile.  Here's the "kicker," where things get complicated...  those selfsame qualities, that very noble virtue and quality in his character, apparently led to his death in July, 1981 -- 30 years ago.  He just couldn't back down from a fight in which he was the innocent and aggrieved party.  I don't know, but perhaps there's a lesson there for all of us, in how we should carefully choose our fights.  Let us not forget Charlie Kuers, just because he was taken from us more than half of our lifetimes ago...