Charlotte was born in 1916 in her family’s home on Level Creek Road. The Shelley-Howerton House still exists today. Built in the 1860s, the home was bought by Charlotte’s gold mining grandfather, William Shelley, in 1883. Charlotte wrote a book about the house called “The House on Level Creek Road.” The book is a great read that can be checked out at the Buford-Sugar Hill Library and provides glimpses about her life in Sugar Hill up until she passed away. Some of her writings portray the rural community and difficult times that existed in Sugar Hill during the Great Depression:
“During the winter, sister and her grandpa both wore shoes that laced up. The shoes were left by the hearth whey went to bed at night. One morning when sister was getting dressed for school, only a pair of grandpa’s shoes was by the fire. He had put on her shoes, noting how nice and trim his feet looked as he got into his car going to his job at the courthouse (in Buford). Sister only had one pair of shoes, so there was no option, but to wear his shoes to school.”
Charlotte lived an extraordinary life after WWII. She married, resided in Texas for a while, and eventually moved back to Sugar Hill into the family home place on Level Creek Road. Charlotte traveled extensively abroad and in the United States, wrote books and even painted and made pottery. As part of Gwinnett County’s bicentennial celebration, her paintings were displayed in a traveling art exhibition.
Sugar Hill has been and is home to many veterans who have served the United States of America and our community. In addition, the experiences, thoughts and ideas they brought back to our community have contributed toward the great city we are today. Charlotte was an amazing woman. When she passed away in 2015 at the age of 99, her obituary read “Charlotte lived a very full and adventurous life and was an extraordinary woman.” Her service during WWII opened a whole new world for Charlotte, her family and, no doubt, Sugar Hill.
Brandon Hembree is mayor of Sugar Hill. He is a 20-year resident of the city, and he uses his interest in history to detail Sugar Hill’s rich past.
FEATURED PHOTO: Charlotte Howerton appears in a promotional photo for the Women’s Army Corps. She served in the Corps as a supply officer and served on several bases in the United States during WWII. Photo courtesy of Brandon Hembree.
