Los
Angeles County
Biographies
CHARLES EDGAR
WAITE
Efficiency has ever been the
watchword of Charles Edgar Waite, whose life record is the story of an orderly
progression that brought him to the important position of division chief in the
internal revenue service, in charge of all income tax work, and in this
capacity he acted for five years, making his headquarters at Long Beach. He was born in Riverside, California, January
14, 1878, a son of Lyman Cobb and Lillian Moina (Shugart) Waite, the former
born in Wisconsin, September 12, 1842, and the latter in Iowa, April 5,
1855. Of English and Welsh lineage on
the paternal side, he has traced his ancestry back to minstrels of William the
Conqueror. In 1075 A.D. William the
Conqueror gave the earldom of Norwich to Ralf de Wait, who married Emma, sister
of Roger, earl of Hereford, cousin of William the Conqueror. The American progenitors of the Waite family
settled in New York. Captain Lyman Cobb
Waite, the father of Charles E. Waite, won his title by gallant service in the
Union Army during the Civil war. From
the time of its founding he has made his home in Riverside, enjoying the
distinction of being its oldest resident, and is now ninety-one years of age. A sketch of his life is published on another
page of this work. On the distaff side
Charles E. Waite is of German descent, and the immediate ancestors of the
Shugart family were Quakers. Its male
representatives were “underground railway men” prior to the Civil war. The mother of Mrs. Lillian Moina (Shugart)
Waite was a Miss Reams, who had French and English forbears.
Charles E. Waite completed his high
school course in Riverside, California, by graduation in 1897 and was a member
of the class of 1903 at Stanford University, where he majored in
economics. After finishing his college
work he became identified with banking interests of Riverside, with which he
was connected for a period of seventeen years, advancing from the position of
bookkeeper to that of cashier. Due to
impaired health, he was obliged to relinquish his work at the bank in 1920 but
remained in Riverside, spending his time largely in the open until March 7,
1922, when he entered the United States revenue service at Los Angeles. He resigned therefrom on the 10th
of January, 1927, to take up private practice specializing in the same work as
income tax consultant at Long Beach. On
the 1st of August, 1923, he was assigned to Long Bach as division
chief for all income tax work, his assignment covering all of Orange county and
the southern portion of Los Angeles county.
At Riverside, on September 12, 1923,
Mr. Waite was married to Mabel Cole, who was born in Chico, this state. He has a stepson, John F. Terstegge.
Mr. Waite is an adherent of the
republican party and lends the weight of his support to all projects tending to
promote civic welfare and community advancement. He has rendered valuable public service as
chairman of the citizens advisory board for part-time education for the city of
Long Beach. He was elected vice
president and a director of the Kiwanis Club (international) and also belongs
to the Pacific Coast Club of the Masonic Club.
A Mason in high standing, he belongs to the blue lodge, chapter,
commandery, council, Sciots and Shrine.
He is also affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent
and Protective Order of the Elks and the Native Sons of the Golden West. In religious belief he is a
Congregationalist. His life has been
upright and honorable in every relation and he well merits the respect that is
uniformly accorded him.
Transcribed by Mary
Ellen Frazier.
Source:
California of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty,
Pages 767-768, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Mary Ellen Frazier.
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NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES