Charles Kelton

Charles Kelton was born in Jersey City as one of seven children of Catherine and James Kelton. Surviving the Great Depression was one of the family difficulties. At eighteen years of age he volunteered for the Army, serving in Europe, at the Battle of the Bulge, and crossing the Rhine into Germany as a member of a long range artillery unit. After World War II he returned to his job on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, where he worked for forty-five years, retiring in 1988 as a Yardmaster and a Union Representative. Charles lived for over sixty years in Somerset, where he raised a family of five children with his wife, Rose Helen Kelton, of Astoria, Queens, who died in 2013, after fifty-seven years of marriage. He was partial to the outdoors and would bring the family camping each summer, enjoying swimming, the beach, and engaging his children, and later, his grandchildren. He was quick with a smile and often teased others in a playful way, but was similarly self-deprecating, pointing out his bald head or emphasizing his Jersey City accent by pronouncing words like “oil” more like “earl.” Charles displayed a delightful grin often seen while dancing, playing pool, going for a walk, or playing pinochle, or other card games with his buddies or brothers. He remained connected to his family and closest friends throughout his life, and is survived by his five children, Eileen Shipley, Regina Meyer, Susan Kane, and John and Kevin Kelton and their spouses. He has three surviving siblings, Catherine Lauten, and Donald and Edward Kelton, twelve grandchildren, and one great grandchild. His joy and gusto for life will be missed. Gathering with the family will be 4:00 - 7:00 P.M. Friday, November 24, 2017. Funeral Services will begin Saturday, 9:15 A.M., at the funeral home, followed by a 10:00 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Mercy Church, South Bound Brook. Entombment will be at Resurrection Cemetery, Piscataway.