A Memorial Service honoring and celebrating the life of Charles Donald King, Jr. is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Cameron, Texas located at 2701 N. Travis Ave., Cameron, Texas.
A long-time resident of Cameron, Charles Donald King Jr. passed away quietly at his home in Cameron on Saturday, January 3, 2026. While born in Austin, he grew up in University Park, a city located within Dallas, Texas. He was a proud graduate of Highland Park High School and attended North Texas State University, where he studied art.
A true Renaissance man, Charles had many talents. He distinguished himself as: Museum Director, local historian, consultant, event planner, artist, writer, designer, antique and book collector, genealogist, interior decorator, contractor, chef, and much more.
Charles used his extraordinary vision and creative talents to make numerous contributions to the cities of Cameron and Rockdale and Milam County. While his accomplishments were many, he was most proud of his service as Director of the Milam County Museum, where he spent decades transforming a small local museum into a complex of three buildings, where visitors can view fascinating permanent and special exhibits of carefully-archived and preserved original artifacts and documents, many of which were donated or loaned to the Museum by local citizens — all designed to showcase and
preserve the unique history of Milam County for present and future generations. Charles served as Director of the Museum until November of 2022.
In addition to maintaining the museum buildings and exhibits, Charles brought beauty to the exterior of the old Historical Jail Museum by planting and maintaining shrubs, flowering plants, and trees. With authenticity and imagination, he gave visitors to the Jail Museum a taste of what life was like for the Milam County Sheriff in the early days of Milam County, when the Sheriff and family lived downstairs, while prisoners were housed in cells on the second floor.
Charles also worked tirelessly to secure the financial well-being of the Museum by applying for grants, publishing historical writings, compiling a Cookbook, organizing extraordinary fundraising events and relying on the faithful support of the Friends of the Museum. Some may recall evenings of dinner and dancing under the stars on the illuminated Brushy Creek Bridge (Ledbetter Bridge) at Wilson-Ledbetter Park to the music of a premiere Austin band or the Christmas coffee and dessert fundraising parties featuring Charles’ homemade sweet and savory cheesecakes served around an 11-foot Christmas tree decorated with Charles’ artistic flair.
To commemorate the establishment of Milam County in 1836, Charles designed a blue and white flag that has been flown over the Milam County Courthouse. Unfortunately, the beautiful flag is not currently being flown. He also served on the Cameron Tourism Committee, bringing his energy and insights to draw businesses and visitors to Cameron and Milam County. In addition to his devotion to the Milam County Museum, Charles served as consultant, officer and Board Member of the Rockdale Historical Society, where he mentored volunteers to ensure the successful development and perpetuation of historical projects of the Society.
With a quiet faith in God, Charles was gentle, kind, courageous, and generous to family, friends and those in need, also extending his care to animals, especially cats. Among his selfless acts, Charles diligently cared for his parents and friends during extended illnesses, as well as honoring local veterans by laying Christmas wreaths on their graves in Oak Hill Cemetery in Cameron. Charles was deeply loved and is greatly missed by family and friends.
Milam County owes Charles a debt of gratitude for his devotion to the collection and preservation of the area’s local history. To honor Charles’ legacy, the family requests, in lieu of flowers, that memorials or donations be made to preserve the history of Milam County through the Milam County Museum or Rockdale Historical Society or to local groups that support and care for animals such as Milam Touch of Love or the Cameron Animal Shelter.
