Charles Eugene Hessert (Chuck) (Wah-Tsa-Moie), age 75, passed away on February 8, 2024, in Joplin, Missouri, surrounded by family.
He was born on February 10, 1948, in Chautauqua, Kansas to Edward Clarence and Wanda Mae Hessert at his grandmother's home.
Chuck attended grade school in Chautauqua, Kansas through the eighth grade and graduated from Pawhuska High School with the class of '66, where he was known as "Bear". Following high school Chuck attended Coffeyville Community College on a football scholarship and earned an associate degree. He then went to Pittsburg State University to earn a degree with two majors, Health and Physical Education and Industrial Arts. Chuck married his wife, Ruth Ann, in 1970 at Timmons Chapel in Pittsburg, Kansas. They had two daughters, Stacy born in 1973 and Jamie born in 1979.
Chuck lived in Southeast Kansas and Northeastern Oklahoma most of his life. Phillips Petroleum Company transferred Chuck to Douglas, Wyoming from 1983 until 1986. He was sent on a temporary assignment by Phillips to Houston, Texas from 1990 to 1991. In 2000, Chuck and Ruth Ann moved to Lake Forest, California before moving overseas to Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, South America in 2001. They lived in Venezuela until Chuck's retirement in 2004, where they built a lovely home on the Wah-Tsa-Moie Ranch. In recent years, Chuck and Ruth Ann moved to Carl Junction, Missouri to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.
Chuck Hessert retired from Conoco Phillips with over 30 years of experience in project management, quality assurance/quality control. During his career, he handled all phases of new construction from initial conception through successful startup. He worked on a variety of internationally based projects which took him to over 38 foreign countries. After "retiring" he started C.E. Hessert Construction, where he owned and operated a bull-dozer business and had an independent oil and gas company, Hessert LOC, Inc. He also managed his herd of registered Angus and raised Angus bulls on the Wah-Tsa-Moie Ranch. Also, during his "retirement", Chuck served as the Vice-Chair for the Osage Nation Energy Services, LLC for the Osage Nation. In 2016, Chuck was selected as an honoree for the AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors, one of Oklahoma's most prestigious awards.
Through the years, Chuck was an avid hunter. He enjoyed hunting deer, coyote, elk, fox, bear, pheasant, quail, duck, goose and antelope. He had an appreciation for the land and while traveling, continually observed the agricultural practices of other countries and cultures. He often spent weekends taking tours through the countryside, visiting farms, wineries, and various farm operations. His travels in Holland to the dairy farms and cheese factories were probably some of his most memorable trips. He also really enjoyed learning about the Kobe beef operations while visiting Kobe, Japan.
Chuck was extremely proud of his Osage heritage. He was the direct descendant of two original Osage allottees, George Michelle, his great-grandfather, and Della Hessert, his grandmother. He strived to teach his family about their Osage heritage and has been honored to watch his daughter, Jamie, and grandchildren participate in the In' Lon Schka dances, as his great-grandfather did in the early 1900s. He was very proud of Jamie's research on the family's Osage ancestry.
