Charles Haupt, former owner of family-owned Charles City store, succumbs

Charles Haupt and his wife Jeanette proudly operated Haupt's Country Store from 1976-2012.

Andre' Jones photo

A man that brought pleasure at his family-owned country store to the Charles City community for several years has died.

Charles Edward Haupt, 77, of Goochland and formerly of Charles City, died at his home on May 16, 2018.

Along with his wife Jeanette, Charles operated the store on John Tyler Memorial Highway beginning in 1976. The store was owned by his parents, George H. and Julia Major Haupt, and his grandparents since 1893.

Charles continued to be hands-on in his operations within his store. With a combination of antiques, animal mounts, pictures, and everyday products, he assisted customers in all aspects. Whether it was cutting butchered meats at the counter to pushing carts and gassing up vehicles, Charles was on the job. During hours of the night, he would assist motorists who were long or needed gasoline for their vehicle, often leaving his home in the middle of the night.

In 2012, Charles elected to head into retirement and sold the store that still bears his name. An interview with him helped depict the nature of both the store and the community.

“A lot of people didn’t’ believe a place like this could survive during the changing times,” he said in that interview. “It was a whole new concept about during business.”

And that concept led to the developing of literally thousands of friendships to both members of the community and strangers. Charles spoke often about his gratefulness to those who frequented his store.

“You see so many businesses and distributors cut the middle man out,” he said. “We were able to last this long because of our customers and community.”

Family and friends paid tribute Sunday afternoon at Charles City High School, bringing in nearly 1,000 people to honor the man who fed families in the county. A funeral took place Monday afternoon.

But even after his passing, the comments made from Charles’ 2013 interview can be echoed to good use of his love for the county.

“You see so many people dependent on each other here,” he said. “My deepest thanks go to the immediate community; the people I see everyday.

“I believe in closeness of the community,” he added. “A lot of stores fail because they do not have that.”

His store definitely didn’t fail. It blossomed into a loving place that brought Charles City together.