Written by Charlie Wyant's own hand, shortly before his death, My Life on the Old Ouachita River is the story of the life and times of this fascinating man, whose daily escapades were not for the faint of heart. Charlie was born in 1928 on "the Old Place" on the banks of the Ouachita River in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. The "Old Place," as he always referred to his family home, was only accessible by boat or horse for most of Charlie's life until well into his adult years.
Charlie was a cowboy foremost, always involved in a round-up, branding, herding, and warding off predators. He was a hunter, a trapper, a farmer, a rough-hand, and spent almost a year of his life in a cast that, after breaking in half numerous times, caused the irate doctor to fit him in a steel one, since he would not "stay put". Charlie was a handsome man with lean, chiseled, good looks and an infectious grin.
When at the age of 87, Charlie got off his horse long enough to sit and write down the memories of his lifetime, it was with clear recollection. His story has been published just as he wrote it, with no change to his words or expressions and with only minimal punctuation when it was needed for clarity. It is faithfully presented exactly as he intended.
Before his beloved wife, Cora Lee, left this earth in a tragic accident, she also had taken the time to journal some especially important details of her life. These were taken verbatim from her own handwritten notes and included in Charlie Wyant's My Life on the Old Ouachita River.
Wyant, Charlie: - Charlie Wyant was a cowboy, a rough-hand, a farmer, a hunter, a trapper and so much more. He was a handsome man, known for his lean, chiseled features and his infectious grin. This posthumous chronicle of his memoirs, written by Charlie's own hand, captures the life of this fascinating man. Four years before his death in 2019, Charlie got down from his saddle just long enough, at age 87, to write down the memories of his life spent on the banks of the Ouachita River, in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. Although his handwriting was hard to decipher at times, his memories were clear. They have been faithfully published with no corrections to his words or expressions, and with only sporadic punctuation to provide clarity. Charlie continued to saddle his horse and ride off into the woods, even as he entered his 90s. Just as his beloved Cora Lee left this world on December 27, 1985, so Charlie released his grip on life exactly 34 years later to join her on December 27, 2019. He was laid to rest in a wooden, pine coffin that he built himself and burned his cattle brand onto, and buried beside Cora Lee, his wife of 38 years and the mother of his sons.
Wyant, Cora Lee: - Cora Lee Childress Wyant was the wife of Charlie Wyant and a gracious, loving woman, known for her gentle smile. It has been said that Cora Lee was the salt of the earth, and that Charlie was the pepper. Cora Lee battled diabetes and along with losing her eye sight, which miraculously returned near the end of her life, she experienced many comas. It was while at the wheel of her car that she slipped into a coma and the car struck a culvert and burst into flames. Her death was a devastating shock to the entire community. Before she left this world, she took the time to journal some events in her life that are shared at the end of Charlie's memoirs, "My Life on the Old Ouachita River".
