Charles W. Thoss (1906-1970)

From Joan Thoss:
My Dad was a wonderful person. Just like a tough coach, demanding excellence of himself and others. He was a public school teacher and an associate Baptist pastor.

Born June 26, 1906, he grew up on a farm in Missouri, about 40 miles west of Jefferson City. He worked his way through school at Warrensburg Teacher's College. We lived in Warrensburg so he could further his education. He later earned his Master's Degree at Washington University, St. Louis.

When I was 5 or 6 I worked with my dad to build our house in Versailles, Missouri. That was a very happy time to remember. When Dad retired from teaching, my parents moved back to Versailles.

During the depression he taught in one-room schools. I went to the First Grade there and my Dad was the teacher. The school in Florence, Missouri was next. My dad taught in the high school. Then he taught high school in Smithton. He also coached the basketball team in Smithton.

In 1943 Dad received an offer to teach at Wellston High School. He loved that school, and treated the students as if they were his children. He expected them to do the best they could, and helped them to accomplish that goal. Of course, he would slip in teaching the students about morality, and inspirational quotations. Many of them told me, they remember his personal interest in them.

He was also on the Board of the Missouri Baptist Children's Home. He loved that service and loved the Children's Home. He helped several of the graduates after they left the home.

He loved his grandson and taught him things that my husband and I never could have.

He died at the pulpit of the Baptist Church in Versailles, MO, preaching a sermon. I think he would have been pleased at that. It was October 22, 1970 when he died I was amazed at the loving and appreciative response from his old students -- and for the first time, I guess, I really appreciated all he positive things he had done in his life.

Joan (Thoss) Stoyanoff Class of 1949 Wellston High School, St. Louis Co., MO

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From Bob Duffy:

I attended Wellston High School in the early 60's. A typical teenager, I had no specific goals or direction in life at the time - only a fear of becoming 18 and getting drafted into the Vietnam war. I was only in two of Mr. Thoss's classes, but I immediately recognized him as a role model - an intelligent, moral, upstanding person who would speak his mind on any subject and often did just that. I remember almost verbatim, the many many stories and "lectures" that he often repeated when ever the need (or opportunity) arose.

There is never a year goes by (hardly ever a month) that I don't think of Charles Thoss at length, or speak of him to others when a situation arises relating to one of the many lessons learned from him. I honestly feel, and I have often said, that the most important things that I learned in High School were in Algebra and Physics class, but they had absolutely nothing to do with Algebra or Physics. They were the lessons-of-life spoken by him in those classes.

I am sure you have heard the following words:

He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is ignorant - teach him.

Mr. Thoss spent much time attempting to motivate students in this category - the smart alecks who thought they knew it all. He did not ignore them or brush them aside. He spent much time trying to change their destructive path in life.

Any teacher can do well with a class full of willing students, eager to learn, but Mr. Thoss excelled at including all students and tried to pull them into the learning experience and into a moral lifestyle, with relevant stories from down on the farm, or an outright stern lecture in many cases. I was a cigarette smoker at the time, so some of his lectures hit very hard and close to home.
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise.

This was Charles W. Thoss. Sure, he knew Algebra, and he knew Physics, but more and most importantly, he knew God in his heart and in his everyday life and he was proud to say so. It is really sad to think about the many vital lessons he taught us in "class", that he would never be allowed to speak in a public school today. The children today, and the country tomorrow, will suffer from not being exposed to the moral lessons in school by teachers like Charles Thoss. It seemed like he had a "farm story" for every occasion.

Beyond my parents, Mr. Thoss was truly the most influential educator in my life, and I really only knew him from being in two classes. He was kind and wise, but he was "tough as nails" when necessary.

Mr.Thoss died while preaching a sermon in church in Versailles, Missouri, where he and Mrs Thoss had retired. He died teaching.
Bob Duffy Class of 1966

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From Jim Bowles;
What can I say about Charles Thoss and not sound like I was the teachers pet. - - - Well I guess that was one of his many traits. He made every student feel that he was the teachers pet.

I had two classes with Mr. Thoss, also many conversations with him after school and between classes. He genuinely had an interest in me and in all his students. Not only was he concerned about the math he was teaching, but he was concerned about “ME” and my character development. He would never tell me what I was doing was wrong, but he would very clearly tell me what I should be doing right.

Who will ever forget “ There are no short cuts to Big Bend road” There were many other sayings, but the one that I can clearly remember to this day. I was taking a test one day and I did very well on the test and finished early. Instead of keeping my mouth shut like I should have been doing, I was talking to the guy in front of me. Mr Thoss walked down the aisle and snatched up my test. The next day when I received the test back, it had a big “F” as a grade. In red on the paper was written “Character is won by a combination of many acts, but it can be lost by one”

In my opinion, Mr Thoss was the best teacher. I will never forget him.

Jim Bowles Class of 1949 - Wellston High, St. Louis Co., MO
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