Charles Franklin McNair (Papa) was born on 5 February 1878, at Saint Jo, Arkansas. He was one of 10 children born to Mack Manilus McNair, who farmed 165 acres of land. Seventy of those acres lay at the side of Boston Mountain, part of a mountain range in Arkansas. Papa attended a rural school finishing formal schooling at an academy in Valley Springs. He did not have a degree but was a certified schoolteacher.
Papa moved to Texas in 1900 at the age of 22. He worked in a General Store and taught school at Blevins. Papa said that God called him to preach in 1902, but he continued to teach school. He taught in McLellan County, and one of his pupils was Ella Vermell King. He married her June 6, 1903. Ava Ella was born on April 21, 1904. She was only 19 days old when Papa moved to Taylor County. He continued teaching school and did some carpenter work. He lost one of his eyes when he was struck by a flying nail. He had one glass eye, but you really couldn't tell it was false. He taught school in Shackelford County. A son, Bernie was born sometime along in this time frame. This child died in childhood 6-8 years old. He had some kind of kidney disease.
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